


Ball, Curry, and Stopping Mad Scientists

by Daidairo



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Action & Romance, Comedy, Exploring Canon, F/M, Post-Game(s), spoilers for sword and shield, the story of how a Type: Null came to be in Galar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:20:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22080220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daidairo/pseuds/Daidairo
Summary: When some research notes on Type: Null are stolen from Aether, Gladion and Moon head to the Galar region to retrieve them.
Relationships: Gladio | Gladion/Moon
Comments: 74
Kudos: 142





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Type: Null is an artificial Pokemon, created by a team of scientists from Aether Paradise to fight Ultra Beasts. So why does an unnamed NPC in Galar have one to give to the Swosh protag? Here's the (imagined) untold story of stolen research, one Type: Null, and the two Alolans trying to save him from a horrible fate. 
> 
> Also there is lonashipping involved, because I can. :)

It all began when Moon arrived at Gladion's office for one of her usual visits, and found them in a bit of a chaotic mess.

Files were strewn everywhere; across the desk, scattered on the carpetted floor, papers spilling out. Gladion sat on his couch with Faba, both feverishly flipping through a stack of papers, while Wicke stood beside them, taking notes.

Moon wondered if she should leave. Gladion had never seemed to mind her dropping by occasionally, to drag him out for a quick lunch, or to play with Silvally in a corner while he signed towering piles of documents. But right now, they all looked pretty busy, and the last thing Moon wanted to do was get in their way.

"That should be the last one," Faba declared. Gladion pinched his brow and scowled.

"It's enough to be a concern," he muttered. "We have to get them back."

"Indeed! To think that anyone would _dare_ to pillage the fruits of my laborious-"

"Wicke, any reply?"

Wicke swiped her tablet screen, scanning the emails there. "Nothing except an automated email saying they'll get back to us as soon as possible," she said.

"Don't ignore meee!"

Wicke turned her eyes to the ceiling, and caught sight of Moon hesitating by the open door. With a smile, she tapped Gladion's shoulder.

"The Champion is here, President."

Gladion looked up. Moon grinned at him, and he gave her a faint smile in return.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" she asked.

"No, it's all right! Do come in, Champion!" Wicke said, waving her over.

"Technically, it's just Moon. I'm not the Champion right now," Moon said, walking into the room.

"Don't bother, it took her more than half a year to stop calling me 'Young Master'," Gladion said.

"What's wrong with that?" Moon asked, innocently. "As a nickname, it's pretty... masterful."

As Wicke giggled behind one hand, Gladion rolled his eyes. "Don't you start," he warned, straightening the papers he held before handing them back to Faba.

"Start what? Calling you Young Master?" Moon teased.

"Moon-"

"AHEM!" Faba fake-coughed loudly. Moon and Wicke exchanged glances, while Gladion took in a deep breath. The man really did love having all attention focused on him.

"As I was saying, I'll speak to some of my compatriots!" Faba announced. "With my extra-important connections, I'm sure I can find someone to get us access to Hammerlocke Museum's key executive staff..."

"That's very helpful! You should get started on that right away!" Wicke said encouragingly. Taking him by the arm, she steered him out of the room while he continued chattering on, listing all the people he had access to. The door closed behind them, shutting off his spiel, and Gladion sighed.

"Sometimes I wish I could just fire him," he muttered.

"The 'get out of Aether' kind, or the stick a Fire Memory in Silvally kind?" Moon deadpanned. To her satisfaction, a hint of Gladion's usual smirk rose to his face at last. The creases in his forehead and the dark circles under his eyes didn't get any smaller, but that slight twist to his lips made him look far more relaxed.

Not for the first time, Moon wished she could convince him to take a day off. But each time she or Lillie suggested that he might be overworking, Gladion would shake his head and insist that he was fine, they were worrywarts, and he was perfectly well.

"Second option would be good stress relief, at least."

He definitely needed more rest and relaxation.

"Agreed," Moon said with a wry smile. "Anyway! What's the problem? Faba aside, y'all seem pretty on edge today."

"Nothing really catastrophic. Just... One of the employees stole some of our archived research notes and sold it to a museum in Galar."

"A museum?" Moon echoed. It didn't sound like too big of an urgent disaster to her, especially if the research was old and had already been archived. "Can't you contact the museum, explain that the notes were stolen, and ask for their return?"

"That's the idea," Gladion agreed. He closed the files in front of him and began to stack them neatly together.

"But...?" Moon asked.

"But what?"

"That's what I'm asking." It was faint, but after all these months in his company, Moon was used to his voice, and she could definitely detect the current unease in his tone. She gathered more files and handed them to him. "I hear your but in there."

Normally, Gladion would have noticed her wonderful phrasing. Now, he merely shrugged as he glanced idly out through the windows.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just being paranoid."

"You think there's cause to be worried?"

"They're notes for Type: Null."

And now she knew why he looked so tense, his jaw locked and his eyes dark. No doubt, he was remembering what it was like to see the Type: Nulls in the laboratories, treated as nothing more than 'The Beast Killer', experimented on and tortured until Faba ordered them frozen. He had recounted those memories to her over dinner once, and Moon could still clearly remember the pain in his eyes.

"I don't like the idea of people having information on Type: Null," Gladion admitted. "Especially the blueprints."

"You think someone might want to... make more Nulls?"

"It's only a possibility," Gladion said. "But the sooner that museum sends those notes back, the easier I'll sleep."

Understandable. But if they were that big of a problem... "Why don't you go get them yourself?" Moon blurted.

A pause.

Gladion stared at her.

"That museum is in _Galar_ ," he said, emphasizing the last word. "It's not exactly a 3-hour trip there and back."

"I'm sure Aether could do without you for a week or so," Moon said. The more she thought about it, the more sense it made. "You'll get to retrieve the research notes personally, take a short holiday and maybe explore Galar a little..."

"I don't need a holiday."

Moon rolled her eyes. Typical. "Maybe not, but it'd be good for you to take one anyway!"

"Moon," Gladion said patiently. "I have work to do here in Aether."

"I think it's a wonderful idea!"

They turned to see Wicke closing the office door behind her, thankfully Faba-less.

"If you don't mind me saying, President, this is the perfect time for you to take a quick holiday," Wicke said enthusiastically.

"There's work to..."

"Now that we've just finished the redevelopment plans for the Conservation Area, there isn't very much that needs doing at the moment. The month-end closings aren't due yet, the next board meeting has been postponed, I can handle the daily reviews with Branch Chief Faba..." Wicke counted the tasks off her fingers, then beamed. "So you're all set!"

"Sounds perfect," Moon said cheerily, nudging Gladion's arm with her elbow. "Time to pack your sunscreen and beachwear!"

"There's no sun in Galar," Gladion muttered.

"If it'll make you feel better, you can think of it as a business trip!" Wicke suggested. "Those notes are Aether property, after all!"

Moon smothered a laugh as Gladion glared at his branch chief.

"Fine, I'll go," he said grumpily. "If only to get those notes back."

"Good boy," Moon said, patting him on the back, giggling at the exasperated look of disgust he shot her. "Don't worry, Wicke and I will look after Aether while you're gone."

"Actually, Moon... Why don't you go with him?" Wicke suggested. Again, both Moon and Gladion turned to stare at her.

"Why?" Gladion asked bluntly.

"In a word... For clout. Aether Paradise might not be all that well-known in Galar, but they'll respect the words 'First League Champion'," Wicke explained. "In fact, Galar's own Pokemon Champion is held in the highest regard. So if Moon goes with you, maybe the police there will pay a little more attention to your requests."

"Sounds convenient," Moon said with a chuckle. She wasn't sure if she liked the thought that a title she no longer owned could get her to places where others couldn't. Still, if it could help them retrieve the Null research notes...

Gladion shrugged. "Can't hurt to try, at least."

And she had never been to Galar, either. Excitement began to rise inside her, and the thought of an unexpected holiday with one of her closest friends brought a smile to her face. Maybe she could get Gladion to forget about his work and unwind a little.

"Do you think we can marathon the Galarian gyms?" she asked.

Gladion snorted. "Without your pokemon? I'd like to see you try."

Moon blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

* * *

The ferry had been sailing since four in the morning. Their first class seats were comfortable enough, so Gladion dozed a little, catching up on what sleep he could.

But now the sun was up, and he was checking through his work emails. Though most could be left for Wicke to handle, there were a few things he had to make decisions on.

For the last five years, Gladion had worked as the president of Aether, steadily rebuilding the foundation from the mess that Lusamine had left them in. Aether Paradise wasn't just full of bad memories; it was a good place, built by his father and grandfather. A place for people who loved pokemon to come together and make the world better for them.

So Gladion worked hard, putting all his efforts into restoring and reconstructing the Aether that Professor Mohn had once dreamed of. At first, it was tough, but as time passed, this life had turned into habit, and it was natural now for Gladion to wake up every morning and go to work.

That's why he didn't need a holiday. He had enough rest time, he had break days where he visited the Battle Royale with his team or went up to Mt Lanakila (at least, when Moon was still Champion).

Still, someone needed to get the Null blueprints back, so it might as well be him.

Beside him, Moon shifted, lifting her head from his (now very stiff) shoulder.

"What time is it?" she asked groggily, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Around ten. We should be reaching in an hour or two," Gladion replied. Moon yawned, stretching lazily.

"I'm getting hungry. I wonder where we should find lunch later?" she mused.

Gladion returned to his inbox while Moon went back to poring over the little 'WELCOME TO GALAR!' travel book she had bought from Akala Ferry Terminal. It was hard to focus, however, with Moon constantly talking to him, interrupting his train of thought, showing him photos from her book.

"There it is! Dynamax!" she said, pulling out folded spreadpages so that they lay half across his lap. "'A temporary transformation of pokemon, in which space is distorted to change the size of the pokemon.' I can't wait to see it! Apparently, Dynamaxing is possible at every gym in Galar!"

Gladion smirked. "It's not like you can try challenging any of them without your pokemon."

Moon stuck out her tongue at him. "Stop rubbing that in!" she complained. "Anyway, you never know! Maybe I'll catch some amazing new pokemon there! Something that'll catch Hau off-guard, and let me take my title back!"

Galar had very strict rules on the species of pokemon that could cross its borders. As a result, Moon had had to leave behind all of her pokemon, while Gladion himself could only bring Weavile and Lucario. It felt odd to be without his full team, but as Wicke said, they weren't likely to get caught up in dangerous fights there anyway.

Additionally, he had been worried about leaving Silvally behind, but Moon assured him that their mons would be all right.

"My owl child will help to look after him, too," she had said. "You'll behave, won't you, Big Buddy? Won't youuuuu?" Silvally had chirped in agreement, chewing on her hat.

Gladion sometimes thought that it was strange how much his pokemon loved Moon, considering she was the one he loses most of his battles to. Yet they always greeted Moon enthusiastically. Out of his few friends, Moon was the only one that Gladion never bothered to withdraw his pokemon for. They were used to her, and she to them.

In fact, Gladion himself had gotten used to seeing her around his office, quietly watching him work, or amusing Silvally and Crobat, waiting for him to finish so they could go out for a meal together, or have a quick spar. Sometimes she would bring him malasadas, and he would stop for a short tea break. Other times, they'd refresh their pokemon together while they told each other about their day.

Even though she was no longer Champion, there's no one else he'd rather have with him on this mission to Galar.

The sudden thought jolted him, and he looked away, feeling awkward, though he didn't quite know why. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Moon flipping through her book again, looking at Galar landmarks, famous souvenirs, and some of the common pokemon listed there.

"Apparently, there's a Galarian variant for Meowth as well. They look completely different from both the Alolan and Kanto ones," Moon commented. "Aaaaah this is so exciting! I'm looking forward to seeing them all!"

Right on cue, the ferry's speakers played their announcement jingle.

"Ladies and gentlemen. We will be docking in half an hour. Please be sure to..."

"Oh, we're almost there!" Moon's book slipped to the ground, forgotten for the moment, as she bounced up. She peered out of the window, trying to see what she could of the new land. Her face lit up with a bright smile, and she waved Gladion over, pointing to something outside.

He still wasn't completely sure why he had agreed to make the trip to Galar, but as he watched Moon, laughing, staring starry-eyed at a flock of wild Corvisquires flying by, he found himself smiling as well.

Perhaps this would be a worthwhile trip, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It had better be worthwhile because they spent a bomb on first-class seats. 
> 
> Special thanks to my beta Frozenleaf!


	2. Chapter 2

It turned out that Galar, unlike what its reputation said, did have sun. It shone warmly down upon Gladion and Moon as they made their way through the rolling green hills, heading towards Hammerlocke. The routes they took were quiet enough; apparently, most Galarians travelled to Hammerlocke by train. The few people they saw were other trainers on bicycles, or campers with their tents.

In fact, they saw tents set up everywhere. Trainers with teams of varying sizes, some with large pots stewing right in front of their tents. According to Moon's book, cooking curry was something of a culture amongst Galarian trainers.

It was interesting to see them. Gladion had been to Kanto, Johto and Kalos by now, and none of those regions had such habits of cooking for pokemon. He wondered if they could buy some curry back home. Silvally and Crobat were both absolute gluttons.

Galar regional pokemon peeking out from tall grass aside, the cold winds that blew at them were a constant reminder that they weren't in Alola anymore. As the hours went by, both were glad of the warm scarves that Lillie had thrown at them before they left.

"I wonder if the pokemon here feel the cold," Moon said, her eyes following the wild Wooloo in front of them. It gave a frightened bleat and rolled out of their way. "I mean, the Wooloo are obviously built for the climate here, but what if... say, we caught a Grubbin back home, and brought it here? Would it be more afraid of the cold than a Galar-born Grubbin?"

"Probably," Gladion replied. "But pokemon are amazingly adaptable. Extreme cases aside, they'd probably get used to it."

A conversation began then on the adaptability of pokemon to drastic weather changes. It reminded Gladion of one of the research projects that was currently going on at Aether, about the effects of the rising sea temperature on Corsola, and his mind began to wander.

How was Wicke handling things? She was very capable, but Aether on a busy day had an enormously large number of things to settle. Was Faba helping her, or giving her more problems to solve? How was the new Fomantis conservation initiative going?

Automatically, Gladion reached for his phone and opened his work inbox. Five seconds later, Moon's hand covered his screen.

"Helloooo, you're on holiday!" she reminded him. "Stop worrying about Aether for five minutes, and take things easy! Enjoy the beautiful countryside around you!"

"I'm used to working." Gladion put his phone back into his coat pocket. "As for the view, it's nice enough, but Alola is more beautiful."

Moon laughed. "We've only been in Galar for a few hours. You're just biased," she said teasingly. "Anyway, I mean it. You should relax! Learn how to have some fun!"

Gladion raised an eyebrow at her. "Implying that I don't already know how to have fun?"

"Excuse me, there is no imply there, I _know_ you don't know how to have fun."

Was that a hint of pity in the otherwise smug smile on Moon's face?

"I know how to have fun!" It came out more aggressive than he intended, but Moon only chuckled.

"Name one," she said.

"One what?"

"Name one thing you do for fun."

Fun things. Things he does for fun. During fun times.

"I... I Battle Royal!" he blurted out. There was no greater enjoyment than facing off three unknown foes with his pokemon. He had to remain completely focused, watching for cues from any of their opponents, so he could help his partner react with the most suitable moves. He had to think fast, to consider ways to counter not just one opposing pokemon, but three. The adrenaline rush was always crazy, and spiked with the feelings of exhilaration each time they claimed a victory.

Battle Royals were definitely the most fun activity for him (slightly behind battles with Moon, perhaps).

Moon, however, looked completely unimpressed.

"And?"

"And what?"

Moon slowed to a stop. "Aside from battling, when's the last time you wanted to do something for yourself, for no reason other than that it makes you happy?" she asked.

And Gladion's mind blanked. Feeling oddly cornered, he searched his memories frantically for anything he did in the past year that wasn't work or battles, and came up with...

Nothing.

Moon must have seen something in his face change. She heaved a sigh.

"Come on," she said. "Let's go visit a camp!"

"A what?"

But Moon was already running towards the dark-blue tent just ahead of them. The owner, a young girl with dark hair, was seated to one side of it. She was rolling a large ball around her Wooloo, laughing as it spun around in a circle. She bounced the ball upwards, and Wooloo leapt, butting it even higher with its head.

"Hello! That looks like fun!" Gladion could hear Moon saying. "Your Wooloo is so cute!"

"Isn't he?" the trainer agreed enthusiastically. "His name is Wollwoll! I've only had him for a week, but I love him! He's so funny when he's playing ball!"

As if to demonstrate, she threw the ball again. Wollwoll bleated, then headbutted the ball straight at Moon.

Moon laughed, catching it neatly. "My name's Moon, and the grumpy-looking guy standing somewhere behind me is Gladion. Is it okay if we joined you two for a while?" she asked.

"Of course! I'm Susie, and my camp is always open to friendly pokemon trainers! Wollwoll loves to play with new people!"

"Great! Gladion, catch!"

And then the giant ball came flying at him. Gladion only just escaped getting brained with it by twisting awkwardly around, and catching it with fumbling hands. Wollwoll came up to him, bleating, then ran away again. It stood a few feet away, waiting expectantly.

"Come on, Glad, this isn't rocket science!" Moon called, waving. "Just throw the ball!"

There was a hint of a challenge in her words, almost as if she were accusing him of not knowing how to play ball. So Gladion pulled back his arm and threw the ball as hard as he could.

To his chagrin, it spun dramatically in midair, travelling less than a foot before it landed and bounced away. Moon and Susie burst out laughing.

Gladion glared at them. "It's too light! There's too much air resistance!"

"I'm sorry, he's not very good at this," Moon said apologetically.

"It's okay, Wollwoll doesn't mind!" Indeed, the sheep pokemon simply ran at the bouncing ball, booping it with his nose until he could dribble it back to Susie. "But you gotta get better at this if you don't want your own pokemon laughing at you each time you camp!"

"We don't camp and play balls in Alola," Gladion mumbled, his ears burning. Moon was still laughing, blast her.

"Then maybe you should start!" Susie said cheerfully. "Come, send out your own pokemon!"

Weavile and Lucario both looked confused at first when Moon threw Susie's second ball at them. They turned to Gladion uncertainly, as if waiting for his commands. But after Wollwoll rolled around them and butted balls at them, they began to run with their new playmate. Though both pokemon were capable of much faster movements than they were displaying, they seemed content to keep to a Shelmet's pace, allowing Wollwoll (and Susie) to keep up with them.

"It's strange," Gladion remarked after a while. "They're enjoying it, even though it isn't really doing anything for them."

"What do you mean?" Moon asked, puzzled.

"I thought at first Susie was using the balls to train her Wooloo's accuracy and agility." He paused, watching as Lucario gently kicked one ball to Susie. "But she's not pushing him at all. She barely ever throws the ball out of his range."

Moon's eyes widened. "I um... I hate to tell you this, but... That's... not actually a training session, you know."

Gladion rolled his eyes.

"I'm not an absolute idiot," he said crossly. "I know what playing is."

"Could have fooled me." Moon grinned. "So what's the problem?"

"It just... feels a little... pointless," Gladion said carefully. "Especially for Weavile and Lucario. They're not exactly getting anything out of a game where there aren't any aims, or goals, or objectives. Just throwing the ball from one to another."

Moon stared at him for a long second.

"Well, they'll have an objective now," she announced, picking up the pink and green coloured ball that rolled to her feet. "Susie!"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever played dodgeball?"

"Of course!"

"You, me, Lucario, Weavile and Wollwoll versus Gladion!"

"Hey, what-"

"Heads up!" Moon flung her ball at Gladion, hitting him on the shoulder with a soft thud. "One point to us~!"

"Moon-" Gladion began, only for Wollwoll to butt another ball at his legs. "That's five against one. How is that fair?"

"Okay, you can have Lucario on your side," Moon conceded. "Hear that, boy? You're on Gladion's side! Everyone else, with me!"

The next half an hour was a frenzy of ball tossing, running and breathless shouting. Susie's three balls were light and soft, so they didn't have to hold back on throwing. Once Lucario understood the rules, he put up a valiant effort defending his trainer, punching the ball away each time it came near them. Weavile, in contrast, took a great delight in slapping every ball at his trainer, hissing happily each time he scored a hit.

On Gladion's side, having so many targets meant it was easier for him and Lucario to score hits. But after Wollwoll's first anguished squeak when Lucario punched a ball (quite lightly) at him, neither of them had the heart to aim for the Wooloo anymore.

It was the oddest game Gladion had ever played. He had long since lost track of the score, having to concentrate on not getting hit, not getting Lucario hit, while still grabbing every ball that came near him, so he could toss them to Lucario. The aura pokemon had a far better aim and could throw faster balls, so it made sense for Gladion to let him focus on scoring as much as possible.

Once Moon realised that her opponents weren't aiming at Wollwoll at all, she kept lobbing balls at them from behind the relative safety of its fluffy body. Her confident, mischievous grins reminded Gladion of their pokemon battles together, and he redoubled his efforts to hit her.

Cries of victory, cheers, yells, and laughter filled the air. Weavile's usual snickers, and Lucario's snuffling barks. Wollwoll's squeaking bleats, and Susie's low-pitched giggles. Moon's melodic chuckles.

It took Gladion a while to realise that some of the laughter came from him, too.

* * *

By the time they finished the ball game, it was half past four. Moon exchanged emails with Susie, promising to keep in contact. Then the two Alolans set off briskly, hoping to reach Hammerlocke before the museum closed.

As soon as they left the camp, Moon nudged Gladion with her elbow.

"So! Did you have fun?" she asked.

Gladion blinked, then shrugged. "I suppose. It was good exercise. Weavile and Lucario really seemed to enjoy it."

"But did _you_ enjoy it?"

"I... guess so." The thrill he felt was familiar and exalting, almost like having pokemon battles. He liked seeing Weavile and Lucario happy. He also liked smacking Moon in the face. And he definitely liked seeing Moon smiling and laughing as she threw balls back at him.

She was smiling again now, a soft, sweet smile. "Maybe we should buy some of those balls back to Alola."

"For the pokemon?"

One corner of Moon's lips went up, giving her a slightly impish look. "I meant for you, but yes."

Gladion frowned. But then they crested the hill, and Hammerlocke lay right before them. The grey walls and stone towers looked imposing, even from afar. Somehow, in the light of the late afternoon, it was a sobering sight, reminding Gladion of their mission to retrieve the Null blueprints.

It was time to get to work.

"Let's go," he said. "We're getting those notes back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weavile is absolutely the type to cheat when he can. Lucario, however, is a stickler for the rules.


	3. Chapter 3

On a normal day, Moon might have enjoyed a walk through the Hammerlocke Science Museum. As grandiose as the rest of the city, each room was large, beautifully designed and spotlessly clean. Exhibitions were split into several different galleries, each with a different focus. The pokemon-centric gallery consisted of collections of fossils, skeletal replicas, actual skeletons, abandoned nests, reassembled egg shells, and traditional tools used for the care of pokemon in times past.

Unfortunately, neither she nor Gladion were there for a pleasant tour. The only item they were interested in was not even there.

The young museum representative sent to meet them was neatly dressed in a stiff grey suit, and more obliging than he seemed at first. Brushing her hand idly over the description board of the Aerodactyl skull in the entrance of the gallery, Moon watched as he shook his head.

"We'd never buy any research notes without first verifying them, either with the writer, or the publisher," he explained. "Whomever this..." He squinted at the signature on the receipt that Gladion handed him. "...'Linus Kale' is, he's not associated with our museum. We had no plans to purchase anything from Alola."

"The company stamp here-" Gladion began.

"Is a fake," the representative said. Holding up the piece of paper, he pointed to the small blue imprint. Moon automatically craned her neck to glance at the stamp, even though she had already seen it a dozen times by now. It was a round logo, with the words 'HAMMERLOCKE SCIENCE MUSEUM' printed underneath.

"Our logo, which you no doubt saw on our front door, has a Corviknight on it. But this one is shaped like a Honchkrow."

"So... You're saying that someone was masquerading as a staff member here using a fake company stamp?" Moon asked.

"Indeed. That someone has... ah, lied to your employee," the representative said apologetically. "We regret to say that we cannot assist you with your search for your property."

Moon opened her mouth to protest, then stopped. The museum wasn't responsible for this Kale person, nor were they at fault for the Aether employee's theft. As such, they were under no obligation to help Gladion and Moon find Null's notes.

Gladion seemed to have arrived at the same conclusion. "Great. Now what?" he muttered. Seeing the frustration in his eyes, Moon gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze.

This was turning out to be a lot more complicated than it seemed at first. The only obstacle she had anticipated was the museum refusing to return an exhibit that they paid a large sum for. She knew that Aether might have had to buy the research notes back. But now, the realisation that they had no idea who was currently holding on to the Null notes was dejecting. The thought that they had absolutely no idea where else to begin searching was worse.

There had to be another way. She turned to the police officer dispatched with them.

"Surely there's something you can do? I mean, fraud is a crime in Galar too, right?" she asked.

The officer shrugged. "As of now, yours is the only case we've ever seen. There've been no other reported cases of anyone misusing the museum's name," he said. "We don't even have any suspects. Sorry, Miss, but all we can do now is keep an eye out for the perpetrator and your notes."

Tipping his hat to them, he turned and left.

Moon sighed. So much for her clout as ex-champion. Beside her, Gladion clenched his fist, crumpling the receipt that the representative had returned to him.

"It's hard to believe that this 'Linus Kale' has nothing to do with this museum," he said at last. "Why else would he use its name for the purchase?"

"I don't know, sir, but we don't have anyone on the staff roll called that," the representative said.

A voice spoke behind them.

"We used to."

Moon turned quickly. A grey-haired janitor stood behind a cleaning cart, watching them quietly with bright eyes. He was dressed in a teal blue uniform, and held a cleaning rag in one gloved hand.

"Mr Glass! You know this Linus Kale?" the representative asked.

"He be a Pok'mon professor who worked 'ere, years ago, before ye came," the janitor mumbled. "But 'e got fired."

"Where did he go?" Gladion demanded, while Moon asked at the same time, "Who was his superior?"

"Blowed if I know." Mr Glass shook his head slowly, twirling the rag in his hand. "Been years, it 'as."

Dead-end, again. Moon clasped her hands, rubbing her thumbs together. "At least we know the name's real. That's a start," she said. "Do you think the police would help us find him?"

"After what that guy said? I doubt it," Gladion said. "Not unless we have clear evidence necessary to charge him."

"Miss Sonia might know," Mr Glass piped up suddenly. "She was int'rnin' with him."

"Miss Sonia?" Moon repeated.

"Professor Sonia of Wedgehurst," the representative offered helpfully. "She's pretty famous in Galar for her work in historical pokemon."

Mr Glass nodded slowly. "That's right. Three months she worked under Prof'ssor Kale. She'd know where 'e lived."

Moon exchanged glances with Gladion. He nodded. Finally, they had a name and a direction.

"We're going to Wedgehurst," Gladion said.

* * *

Trains in Galar moved fast, but smoothly. The chairs were plushy and soft, smelling faintly of clean detergent. Foldable plastic tables were installed at the side, providing a flat surface for food or work.

Moon watched Gladion silently as he sat opposite her, leaning on the table as he stared at his phone. Ever since their visit to the museum the day before, he had been extraordinarily tense. He sent emails to Wicke, Faba, and Professor Kukui, hoping to find out more about Kale. But no one knew his name. Evidently, the man had made no notable contributions to the academic world to earn himself any kind of reputation.

So all they could do now was wait. Wait until they got to Wedgehurst, and Professor Sonia.

Dozens of possible scenarios ran though Moon's mind. Best case, Kale was an academic nut who merely wished to study old, unpublished research, but feared that he wouldn't be taken seriously, so he forged the museum's name to get the Aether employee to trust him. Worst case, Gladion was right, and Kale had bought the notes under the museum's name because he was plotting to create more Type: Nulls.

"Did Kale instigate... Bethan, was it? ... to steal the notes?" Moon asked. Gladion looked up, then shook his head.

"Bethan simply took the papers that looked the most interesting to him, and put it up on auction. He didn't even understand what they were for," he replied. "That's why it wasn't just Null, there were some pages on the Ultra Wormholes that were taken, too."

"So, at least we know Kale probably wasn't aiming for Null from the start," Moon said thoughtfully. She sighed. "Why did Bethan do it, anyway? Just for the money? But Wicke said that he'd been an exemplary caretaker until then."

"Bethan's father was diagnosed with some terminal illness, and he needed a large sum of money immediately for the surgery. He took archived research because he thought it wouldn't do any harm," Gladion explained. His lips twisted in a bitter smile. "Ironically, he ended up taking notes that could potentially do the most harm. But it's hard to blame someone who just wanted to save his family, no matter what it took."

Moon winced. Memories of Lusamine, of Lillie, of Gladion's own Silvally, breathed between his words.

Even after six years, the deepest scars still remained.

Leaning forward, Moon reached over and closed her fingers around his hand. "It's okay," she said softly. "We'll get the notes back. And we'll find a way to help Bethan, too."

Gladion took a deep breath, then sighed, releasing much of the tension in his shoulders. Looking up, he met Moon's eyes.

Wheels screeched, and the train jerked, coming to a complete stop. "Wedgehurst Station! Wedgehurst Station! Please mind the gap!"

Gladion stood. Reaching up, he pulled his and Moon's bags from the overhead compartment.

"Let's go," he said.

* * *

Guided by helpful townspeople, Moon and Gladion made their way to the Pokemon Research Lab on the east side of Wedgehurst. Flowering bushes lined the cobblestone streets. The air was filled with sweet scents and Rookidee calls. Afternoon sun rays shone warmly upon them.

It was almost, but not quite, as lovely as the outskirts of Iki Town. Still, everything together painted a perfect picture of peace.

Until a loud crash came from the ivy-covered building they were headed to. A green blur jumped out of the open window on the second floor, climbing cleverly down the vines along the wall. Glancing back up, it crashed straight into Moon's leg.

Moon blinked and looked down. A winded pokemon lay at her feet, shaking its head groggily. It was small and green, with orange paws and a brown tail. Tender shoot leaves grew from its head. Beside it was a purplish-blue rock with glowing red lines.

"What's going on?" Gladion asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Moon said, kneeling down. "Hey, little one. Are you all right?"

She lifted the pokemon gently to its feet. It looked up at her with beady black eyes and chirped lightly, patting Moon's hand with its tiny paws. She smiled, stroking the small leaves on its head gently.

The door in front of them opened, and a young man with purple hair dashed out, screeching to a halt in front of them. Instantly, the green pokemon picked up the rock and shot behind Moon, making chittering noises.

"Is this your pokemon?" Moon asked politely.

"Crikey, no! He's a wild Grookey!" the young man replied with a laugh. "But that Wishing Star he's holding _is_ my research project. He kinda took it from my desk when I wasn't looking."

"A Grookey," Moon repeated, twisting her head around to look at the creature. "Likes sparkly things, huh?" She pulled her backpack around and reached into the front pocket. "Let's see if he also likes sparkly pokebeans!"

The moment she held out the rainbow pokebeans, the Grookey dropped the rock and leapt at her hand. The young man swooped down and snatched the Wishing Star away. Grookey didn't even look at him, being too busy shovelling the treats into his mouth.

"Ooookay, that worked amazingly," the young man said, chuckling with awe. "I need to get me some of those candies."

"They're pokebeans," Moon corrected. "We grow them in Alola. Pokemon love them."

"You're from Alola?" The young man stared at her closely, then at Gladion. "Wait a sec... Aren't you the... First League Champion of Alola? And the guy who's always losing to her?"

Moon burst out laughing as Gladion scowled.

"Oh, uh... Sorry. That came out really rude, didn't it?" The young man scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It's just... I used to watch a lot of Pokemon League battle streams on TV. And I remember seeing you two there!"

"We're looking for Professor Sonia," Gladion said curtly. "Is she-shut up, Moon-is she here?"

"She's out right now, but she should be back soon. I'm Hop, her research assistant! Do you wanna wait inside?"

Moon swallowed her giggles. "That would be great, thank you. My name is Moon, and this is Gladion. Do you know when Professor Sonia will be back?"

"Maybeeee in about an hour?" Hop said, opening the door wide. "She's just gone to collect some data from Hulbury."

They followed him into the lab. Grookey hopped onto Moon's shoulder, pulling himself up with her hair.

"You wanna come in, Grookey?" she asked, giggling a little as his breath tickled her cheek. "You're not afraid of humans at all, are you? It's kind of strange."

Grookey chirped at her, and she stroked him as she looked around.

Books and potted plants lined the walls from ceiling to floor. Next to the entrance was a cosy little kitchen, with a wooden table and three chairs. The far end of the L shaped room was obviously the professor's workspace, filled with computers, electronic boards, and various apparatus.

Moon and Gladion sat down at the kitchen table. Hop carried a tray over and set out two cups of steaming tea. A dish of crumpets followed, and Grookey instantly helped himself to one, climbing back onto Moon's shoulder to eat.

"He's really used to this," Moon remarked. "Are you sure he's wild?"

"Yep. After Sonia fed him the first time two weeks ago, he's been living in our backyard. We keep putting food out for him, so…" Hop shrugged one shoulder, smiling. I guess he's a freeloader now. Aren't you, Grookey?"

Grookey burped in reply, licking at its paws unrepentantly. Hop chuckled.

"Just stick to the food, and stay away from Wishing Stars," he said. "Which reminds me, I gotta get back to work! Will you two be okay here? There're magazines in that shelf behind, if you get bored."

"Go ahead," Gladion said. Moon waved him on as well.

"We'll be fine!"

Hop grinned, then dashed away, climbing the stairs to the second floor two at a time.

"And now we wait, again," Gladion murmured. He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.

"We wait," Moon agreed. She picked up a crumpet. Tearing a piece off, she waved it in front of Grookey, then tossed it upwards. Grookey curled his tail around her wrist and swung himself up, catching the crumb neatly in its mouth.

"Clever boy," Moon cooed. "Have the rest of the crumpet?"

While Grookey ate, she pulled out her Rotom Dex and snapped a picture.

"Grookey, Chimp Pokemon. No other information, bzzt!" Rotom buzzed.

"Mmm, expected that. Maybe we should have asked Professor Kukui if he could load the Galar Dex for us." Moon slid Rotom back into her backpack. "Then again, we didn't have that much time to spare."

"Sorry."

Moon turned. He was staring at the floor, frowning slightly. "It's not your fault. Wicke booked the early..."

"No, I mean..." Gladion hesitated, unfolding his arms and sliding his hands into his pockets. "I'm sorry this trip isn't turning out to be the fun vacation you wanted."

He was worrying about _what?_ "That's not your fault, either," Moon said. "Who could've known that the search for this Kale was going to become a wild goose chase?"

Gladion shook his head. "You were looking forward to exploring Galar," he mumbled, still not looking at Moon. "Meeting new pokemon, eating curry, fighting gym battles."

"With you," Moon reminded him. "This was supposed to be fun for you, too."

At last, Gladion met her eyes. "Getting the Null blueprints back is my priority right now," he said. His gaze was unwavering, his eyes steady. But she could hear the lightest hint of an apology in his voice.

"Of course. They're important," Moon agreed. "But we can always do all of that after we get them back!"

"…You sure you're okay with this?"

"I didn't come to Galar with you, just to let you worry about everything alone," Moon said. "Besides..."

She reached out and tickled Grookey under the chin. Grookey laughed in light squeaks, batting at her finger. She smiled.

"I'm already having fun. Aren't you?"

Gladion huffed a soft laugh. "Don't let him get too attached. Unless you want to bring him home."

"What, are you jealous?" Moon teased. Gladion shot her his usual not-impressed look, an expression she hadn't seen all day.

She had _really_ missed that look.

"No, but your Decidueye might get annoyed if you bring home another grass type."

"Manu will be fine," Moon said. "He's very forgiving when it comes to babies. If I bring home a Galarian boyfriend, now..."

Gladion snorted. Before he could say another word, Hop came barrelling down the stairs with a Pincurchin on his head and a Dubwool behind him.

"Okay, okay, I'm going as fast as I can!" He laughed, rubbing the Dubwool's head. "Hey, you guys! I'm gonna go outside to cook some curry, you wanna join in?"

"Outside?" Gladion repeated, raising one eyebrow.

"It's a Galarian thing," Moon said. "Remember those large pots we saw outside the camps?"

"That's right! It's always nice to cook with other people. You never know what kinds of rare berries they'd bring in!" Hop said. "Come on, I'll teach you! It's fun! And your Pokemon will _love_ it!"

Moon rose to her feet and grinned at Gladion. "Strike one off the bucket list while we're waiting for Professor Sonia?"

A faint smile rose to his lips, and he stood up, lifting his hands from his pockets. "Sure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hop really wanted to talk to them about their battles, but he's trying very hard to be Responsible and get his work for the day finished first. 
> 
> However, it is a rule that when your Pokemon demand curry, you have no choice but to stop work.


	4. Chapter 4

Cooking curry was easy, Hop assured them. All they needed were the right utensils, a nice roaring fire, and a bunch of good ingredients.

And the key ingredients for Galarian curry were berries. Most berry trees in Galar were planted and grafted by human hand, enabling each tree to produce different varieties of berries. Since they were easily accessible, curry had become the main food of choice for travelling trainers over the years.

Hop handed Moon two baskets and pointed to a tiny grove of berry trees growing just across the street.

"If you shake 'em, the ripe ones will fall right out!" he said. "See how many you can collect!"

Moon examined the baskets curiously. They seemed to have been made by hand from thin, slightly uneven wooden sticks, and the weave pattern was quite unlike those she normally saw in Alola. These baskets smelt faintly of a pleasant, woody scent.

"What kinds do you want us to get?" Gladion was asking. Hop shrugged lightly.

"Anything will do! That's the fun part about curry making!" he said cheerfully. "You can use all sorts of combinations for different tastes!"

Gladion frowned. "Not knowing how your food is gonna turn out does not sound like fun," he said. Moon elbowed him with her free arm.

"C'mon, where's your sense of adventure?" she teased.

"You don't need one when it comes to food."

"Aw, don't worry! Glo... My best friend and I have been cooking curry every day, with all sorts of berries, since we started our pokemon journey two years ago," Hop said. "We've never made anything we can't eat! Well, except the ones that we ended up burning by accident..."

"Good grief," Gladion muttered. "Maybe I should go stock up on Antidotes."

"Oh, there's no need for that," Moon said at once. "We just need to include a pecha berry in the mix!"

As expected, Gladion threw her an exasperated look, his brow creased. She and Hop chuckled.

"Anyway, try to find the rarer berries!" Hop suggested. "They have some really interesting flavours and the pokemon love 'em!"

"You're not coming with us?" Moon asked.

"Nah, I'll go get the rest of the stuff ready," Hop replied with a grin. "It's faster this way!"

"Right. See you in a bit!"

Hop waved, then popped back through the lab door.

"Now the question is, are rare berries in Alola also considered rare in Galar?" Moon asked thoughtfully.

Gladion shrugged. "I'm more curious about this tree grafting thing they do," he said. Turning, he headed briskly towards the little fruit orchard.

Moon blinked at his sudden, surprising statement. She ran after him, baskets swinging on her arm.

"Since when were you interested in gardening?" she asked, coming to a stop beside him.

"Since the thought that maybe we could implement something like that in the Conservation Area at Aether," Gladion replied, fingering one of the grafted branches thoughtfully. "Different pokemon have different berry preferences, after all."

"You want to..." Moon started, then stopped, shaking her head wryly. "You never stop thinking about Aether, do you?"

"It's my job," Gladion said simply. "I'm responsible for all the Pokemon at Aether. And if grafting berry trees might help make them happier, it's worth trying."

And that, Moon knew, was the crux of his obsession with work.

"You really do love pokemon," she said softly.

It was a weird thing to say, but Gladion must have heard something in her tone, for he turned to look at her. A faint smile rose to his lips.

"Yeah," he said. "I do."

Underneath that serious, grumpy exterior lay the kindest, most compassionate heart she knew. A person who worried about humans mistreating pokemon, who wished enjoyment for his travelling companion, who didn't want to feed his pokemon possibly-weird-tasting curry.

A person who had never even given himself a chance to play ball.

"You're unbelievable."

Gladion frowned, looking slightly bewildered. "What?"

"Nothing." Moon exhaled, blinking away the prickling sensation behind her eyes. She grinned at him, then held out one of the baskets. "Bet I can get more rare berries than you!"

A familiar glint appeared in Gladion's eye.

"Is that a challenge?" he asked.

"Ten minutes," Moon said. "Winner gets bragging rights, and loser has to buy ice-cream!"

"You're on," Gladion declared, taking the basket from her. Moon watched him as he strode through the trees to the far side of the tiny orchard.

They were going to make the best curry ever.

* * *

Berry tree trunks were thin and supple, so it was easy to grab and shake them. The berries fell in tiny clusters, two or three at a time. Moon hummed lightly as she bent to collect the fruits, placing them gently into her basket.

Until Grookey, who had been watching with interest from her shoulder, decided to help. Being small and light, he could swing himself up through the thin branches of the berry trees, plucking and tossing ripe berries down. All Moon had to do was sit below and catch them, then sort them by type.

"You probably know we're making curry, don't you?" Moon said, smiling, as Grookey swept another handful of mago berries down at her. "After the crumpets and the pokebeans, it's hard to imagine how you're still hungry."

Grookey chirped happily at her and continued his assault on the branches. Within a few minutes, the accumulating piles of berries in front of her were beginning to look like they wouldn't fit in the basket that Hop had given her.

"Okay, I think that's enough now, don't strip that tree bare!" Moon called. "Other pokemon and trainers will want berries too!"

Obediently, Grookey leapt down and jumped into her lap, chattering. Moon stroked his head fondly as he helped himself to a cheri berry.

Maybe she could give the rest to Hop. Or Grookey could probably eat them all by himself.

Footsteps sounded in the grass behind her, and she turned to see Gladion walking over to them. He took in her berry piles with a glance.

"Bit of an overkill there. Planning to open a shop?" Gladion asked dryly.

"Hey, I didn't ask Grookey to help, he did so on his own," Moon said, grinning. "Buuuut I think I just won!"

In reply, Gladion dropped his basket in front of her. The berries it held were significantly smaller in number than Moon's, but...

"Five liechi berries?" Moon gasped. "And... Is that kee? And _rowap!?_ "

The rarest berry in her pile was petaya, and she only had three of them. The rest were a mixture of sitrus, figy, cheri and mago. All fairly common varieties.

"Looks like Grookey's not very particular. Too bad," Gladion said, smirking.

Moon scowled, gathering Grookey up in her arms protectively. "It's not his fault. He still got us way more berries than you!"

"Quality over quantity."

Ten minutes ago, she wanted to give him a hug, but now all she wanted to do was wipe that infuriatingly smug smile off his face.

"How did you even get that many rare berries, anyway?" she muttered crossly.

"Berry branches are alive. And they have their own auras."

Moon's eyes widened as realization dawned on her. She scrambled to her feet, Grookey dropping to the grass, and pointed one indignant finger at Gladion.

"You used Lucario to find them!"

"It's only fair, since you had Grookey on your side," Gladion retorted, still smirking.

"You-"

Before Moon could finish, an angry screech came from the trees nearby. Moon spun around at once. Grookey froze for a second, then leapt towards her, hiding his face behind her leg.

A large, furry brown pokemon with a bushy tail dropped to the ground, its face red with rage. It glared at Grookey with black beady eyes. Stomping its feet, it bared its incisors, shrilling angrily.

Moon recognised it at once from her travel book.

"It's... A Greedent," Moon said quietly. "They live all over Galar, in berry trees. Do you... think it might be upset that Grookey picked all the berries?"

"Doesn't take a genius to figure that out," Gladion said in the same low tone.

Moon shifted her position slightly to keep Grookey out of sight, but the Greedent simply switched to glaring at her instead. While she wouldn't blame it for getting mad over its territory, Grookey had picked the berries for _her_. She didn't want them to end up fighting, especially when the Greedent was twice the size of Grookey.

"Don't move," Gladion murmured. Slowly, with one hand on Weavile's pokeball, he lifted one foot and shoved his basket of rare berries carefully towards the furry brown pokemon.

Its head snapped around, and it sniffed the air suspiciously. Grookey crept hesitantly towards Gladion's basket. Balancing on the thin edge, he picked up a lansat berry and offered it to the Greedent.

Its face creased as it sniffed. Suddenly, it dashed towards them, swiping the berry from Grookey. Chomping down, it chewed vigorously. Then it snatched at the handle of the basket, knocking Grookey off, and scampered back to its tree. Stopping at the foot, it turned and glared at Grookey once more.

A warning hiss, punctuated by aggressive paw gestures, sent Grookey scuttling backwards until he could clutch at Gladion's trousers. Finally, the Greedent raced up into the leafy branches and disappeared from view.

Moon released the breath she had been holding. "Moral of story, quality over quantity," she said.

Grookey looked up at them, then stuck its tongue out sheepishly.

Both Moon and Gladion burst out laughing.

"Its _face!_ " Moon exclaimed, giggling helplessly. "It was so furious!"

"You'd think... Grookey would know better..." Gladion shook his head, snickering.

"I know, right?! You live dangerously, little one!"

Moon wiped the tears from her eyes. Hiccuping slightly, she happened to glance over at Gladion. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight.

He was doubled over with mirth, holding his stomach with both hands. His chuckles were unrestrained, his face relaxed, his skin flushed with merriment.

When was the last time she had seen him laugh so hard?

Finally recovering enough to speak properly, he looked over at her. "Looks like I'm berry-less now. You gonna claim that you won?"

With the golden sunset light upon his hair and cheeks, he almost seemed to glow. She could hear the smile in his voice, and see it on his lips. His emerald green eyes were still soft and crinkled as they gazed at her.

She would give anything in the world to see him always smiling at her like that, happy and relaxed.

_Oh._

At her lack of a reply, Gladion bent slightly to peer at her face. "You okay?" he asked.

"I... yes. I'm good. Fine." Moon looked away quickly. Her eyes landed on the pile of berries still lying on the grass. Almost absently, she began shoveling them into her basket. "I, uh-"

"Hey, you two!"

Across the street, Hop was carrying a large black pot out of the lab. He placed it on top of a silver grill and waved at them.

"Have you got the berries?"

"Yes!" Moon called, standing quickly. "We're coming!"

Curry first. She would think about the feelings later.

* * *

In the end, they used only about half of the berries Grookey collected. Hop's eyes widened when he saw the basketful; Gladion had to glare at him to stop him throwing the whole pile in as an experiment. Curry powder and a packet of mixed mushrooms were dropped into the pot as well, to make what Hop called 'Mushroom Medley Curry'.

Moon took turns with Hop and Gladion to fan the flames and stir the pot. Soon, a delicious aroma of mixed spices rose in the air. Dubwool and Lucario had to hold Pincurchin and Grookey back; the latter two were so excited by the smell that they nearly jumped into the pot.

Finally, they ladled generous amounts of red brown curry over rice and egg omelette. Hop had enough plates to give the pokemon one each, and they dug in joyfully at once. Weavile was weaker with spicy food, but he refused to stop eating, blowing on his tongue between mouthfuls.

"Is it really that spicy?" Moon asked, laughing, as she handed him a large mug of water.

"We did put in a score of tamato berries," Hop said with a grin. He handed Moon a plate. "Here, try it yourself!"

Moon lifted a spoonful to her lips. An explosion of flavours filled her mouth, with berry spice at the head. But as she chewed, the rich juiciness of the various mushrooms came to the front, and she closed her eyes blissfully.

"This is so good! We need to get some of this curry powder before we go home!" she exclaimed.

"Right? Everybody loves Galarian curry," Hop said proudly. "You can get them from any Pokemon Center!"

They sat together on foldable chairs under the twilight sky, eating a simple but satisfying dinner. The evening breeze was cool and fresh, carrying with it the slightest scent of dried grass. Every now and then, they could hear the quivering calls of wild Hoothoot.

It was nice to be eating out of doors at night again, something that Moon hadn't really experienced in the last two years. It reminded her a little of her Island Challenge days, especially when she sat talking to Hop while they cleared their plates.

"...and then it made faces at Grookey and leapt back into the tree!"

Hop shook with laughter. "Greedent are almost as gluttonous as Snorlax. But, sweet cream-crackers, that means you two actually got even _more_ berries at first? In less than ten minutes?!"

Moon and Gladion exchanged abashed glances.

"We kindaaa... made it a competition," Moon admitted.

"And got a bit carried away," Gladion mumbled.

Hop chuckled. "I know that feeling. When I was five, I made a bet with my best friend, saying that I could eat more petaya berries in one mouthful than her. We both ended up with burning mouths and a horrible stomachache."

"Excellent. Who won?" Moon asked.

"Gloria did. She holds a record of eighteen petaya berries," Hop replied. "I've been trying to break it, but the most I ever got was fourt-"

"Wait, didn't you say that happened when you were five?" Gladion interrupted.

"Yep!"

"And you're still doing it now?"

"Yeah?"

"And you're still getting the burning mouths and stomachaches."

Hop paused. "Y'know, when you say it like that, it sounds kinda stupid."

Moon laughed as Gladion looked skywards.

At first, Moon thought that they had cooked far too much curry, but Grookey and Dubwool kept asking for seconds. She was scooping out the last bits of mushroom for Grookey when she heard Hop yell from behind her.

"Sonia! You're back at last!"

Both she and Gladion turned to see a tall, red-headed woman walking briskly towards the lab. She wore a fluffy dyed Wooloo sweater over a white lab coat, and carried a brown document folder.

"Sorry I'm late!" she greeted Hop. "I had to go pick up a certain somebody."

"Lee?" Hop asked with a sympathetic grin.

"He was on the way to Stow-on-Side from Hammerlocke. And ended up wandering in the outskirts of Motostoke." Professor Sonia sighed dramatically. "I don't know how he ever finds the way to his own be- Oh, you have visitors?"

"They're here to see _you!_ " Hop spun around and beckoned them over. "Sonia, this is Moon, one of Alola's Pokemon Champions! And this is Gladion..."

"President of Aether Paradise," Gladion said. Moon wondered if he just wanted to stop Hop from possibly saying 'the guy who loses to her all the time'.

Sonia smiled warmly at them. "A pleasure to meet you both. What can I do for you?"

"We're looking for a Professor Linus Kale," Gladion said. "Mr Glass from the Hammerlocke Museum said you knew him."

The smile disappeared from Sonia's face.

"Let's talk inside," she said.

* * *

"I interned with Professor Kale for three months, but I can't say I got to know him very well," Sonia said.

Hop was washing up the dinner utensils at the sink, with Grookey drying plates beside him. Moon had offered to help, but he waved her away. She went to sit at the kitchen table with Gladion and Sonia.

"He thought of himself as a great scientist, with his 'exciting revolutionary ideas', and he didn't have any time to waste 'babysitting a mere student'." Sonia gestured sardonically with her fingers, signifying quotation marks. She smiled. "It was not a great time."

"He's a scientist." Gladion covered his eyes with one hand for a moment. "Great."

Moon sighed. The chances of an arrogant scientist creating another Type: Null from the research notes were growing higher by the day, and it was a dismal thought.

"Do you have any idea we can find him?" she asked.

"I don't. But..." Sonia held up her Rotom-tablet. "Cara might."

White words 'Dialing...' flashed across the blue screen for a few seconds. Then Rotom buzzed, and a new window popped up for the video call. A woman with black hair cut straight around her face waved to Sonia.

"Hey, darlin'. How you doing, huh?"

"Hey Cara! Need a bit of a favour from you today," Sonia said.

"Oh?" Cara said, pushing her glasses up her nose. "Shoot!"

"Do you know where to find Professor Linus Kale? You worked with him two years ago on that Geological Age report, didn't you?"

"That clothes hanger on a flagpole knob head?" Cara scowled. Her glasses slid down her nose, and she pushed it up again. "What d'you need him for?"

Moon raised her eyebrows at the unique insult. It would appear that no one liked the man.

"He's got ahold of some research notes stolen from Alola," Sonia explained. "The owners here are trying to get them back, because... He might do something reckless with them."

"I'll bet he will, huh," Cara muttered. "Anyways, last I heard, he's got a lab west of Motostoke, near Marlow Common."

"Motostoke, Marlow Common," Moon echoed. She looked at Gladion, and he nodded, his face grim. With any luck, this next place would be the last stop in their mission.

"Thanks much, Cara!" Sonia said. "I owe you a drink!"

"No problem. I'll take your thanks in a fossil instead," Cara said. Winking, she ended the video call.

Gladion stood up, the legs of his chair clattering on the floor.

"Thanks for the help," he said. "We'll be on our way now."

"Wait a minute!" Sonia said. "You're going to Motostoke _now_? At this hour?"

"We've no reason to wait," Gladion said curtly.

"It's late, and the lab will likely be closed." Sonia shook her head. "I have a spare tent and sleeping bags. Why don't you spend the night here, and set off tomorrow? I'll call you a Corviknight cab first thing in the morning."

Gladion hesitated, glancing over at Moon.

"I think we'll both be better for a good night's sleep before we meet Kale," she said, her smile a little crooked.

"She's right," Sonia agreed. "You'll want to be at your best when you kick Mad Scientist butt."

Gladion nodded. "All right."

* * *

The tent was spacious, but only just big enough for two sleeping bags and one Grookey (he decided he wanted to sleep on Moon's pillow; Moon was beginning to wonder if he really _was_ a wild pokemon). Unfortunately, that meant that Moon had to lie directly next to Gladion, which, in light of a recent realization, was not exactly a restful position.

She tried to sleep, but hundreds of different thoughts kept swimming in her head. Thoughts about what they would do if Kale was no longer at Motostoke. Thoughts about what they would do if they did find him there. Possibilities of him creating, or having created, a fourth Type: Null. Worries about how they would get him away.

But the most distracting thought in her mind, which she kept returning to like a Pidgeot to its nest, was the moment when she realized she was in love with one of her best friends.

Sure, she had always found him physically attractive. Who wouldn't, with that golden hair, fair skin, and sharp green eyes that looked as if they could cut you, but softened with warmth each time he looked at his pokemon, or... Anyway, Moon knew that attraction wasn't love.

But there was no other way she could explain the fact that she had been three seconds away from kissing Gladion that afternoon.

She wasn't certain when it had happened. Obviously, she hadn't fallen for him when they first met (she remembered it clearly; he had just defeated Hau and wanted to challenge her to a battle). They worked as partners to storm Aether Paradise, then accepted each other as rivals, before finally becoming friends. Close friends. Best friends.

Except she was now feeling things completely unsuitable for a best friend. Such as her consciousness of his warm body next to hers, ten inches away. Such as the way she was completely aware of his soft breathing. Such as how, when she turned to gaze at his sleeping face, she had to bite her lip and roll back over to stop herself from snuggling closer.

"Still awake?"

Moon jumped. His voice was slightly husky, as if he had just woken up.

"Sorry, am I too noisy?" she apologised, forcing herself to keep calm as she turned to look at him. Moonlight from the plastic skylight at the top of the tent lit his face softly.

"It's fine. But you should sleep. It's late," he said.

"I know. I just... keep thinking. Of things," she ended lamely. Gladion sighed.

"Yeah. I'm... I don't know what to expect for tomorrow," he admitted.

"Because we might find a Type: Null in the lab?" Moon murmured.

"If we do... I might end up committing murder," Gladion said. He gave her a lopsided smirk. "You'll have to bail me out of prison."

Moon gave a small huff of laughter. It was easy to joke, but she knew from the slight catch in his voice that he was using it to mask his apprehension. Seeing a Type: Null in a lab was going to open up a lot of old wounds.

So she joked right back.

"Since I'm currently unemployed, I wouldn't be able to afford bail. Would you settle for me raiding the jail with Lucario and Weavile?"

Gladion chuckled softly. The crease between his brows did not completely disappear, but at least his smile was softer, a little more relaxed.

"Glad to know you have my back," he said.

"Always."

Then he rolled over, and she curled up under her blanket, resolving to keep her wayward feelings to herself, at least until they went back to Alola.

They had far too much to deal with at the moment.

Cuddling Grookey to her, she closed her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, have a healthy dose of pining! Or maybe twenty?


	5. Chapter 5

The morning sun was warm, shining in through the white lace curtains of the Pokemon Research Lab. Small specks of dust danced in the light. Outside, wild Rookidee were singing again. It was hard not to smile, Moon thought, especially with Gladion looking a lot calmer compared to the night before, too.

She drank the last of her coffee and sighed.

"Coffee is nice, but I miss having Tapu Cocoa in the mornings," she said. Gladion smiled faintly.

"Homesick already?" he asked.

"Aren't you?"

"A bit, yeah." Gladion downed his own coffee with a gulp.

"We'll be back soon," Moon said comfortingly. "Then you can get back to your piles of paperwork, and I... will have to start job-hunting properly. Bleh."

After the final rush of papers to get her pharmacist's license, Moon had been in no hurry to start work immediately. She had already cleared her internship hours over the past year (on her off-days from the league), so all she really needed was to start sending out resumes. But she promised herself a one-month break after she lost to Hau, and then the blueprints theft happened.

"You don't intend to challenge Hau for the title again?" Gladion asked. With a full-time job, she wouldn't have time to spend sitting on Mt. Lanakila, waiting for challengers.

Moon reached for the last flapjack piece on her plate and handed it to Grookey. "Maybe not officially," she said, laughing as Grookey's eyes lit up and he smashed his face into the cake. "I love pokemon battles, but I also really enjoyed my internship work. It's nice to be able to help sick pokemon get better."

She scrubbed the traces of maple syrup from Grookey's mouth. Slightly annoyed, he whined and batted at her hands. Moon chuckled. Turning to toss the crumpled tissue into the bin, she caught sight of Gladion staring at her with that soft, warm look in his eyes.

"I can't think of anything that suits you more," he said.

_Stop it. That's illegal._

"Stop what?" asked Gladion, looking confused.

Well. Guess who just spoke her thoughts out loud.

Thankfully, before she could say anything even more embarrassing, the door to the lab opened and Sonia came in.

"The cab is on its way!" she said. "They'll take you all the way to the Pokemon Center in Motostoke, and then you can do the rest."

"Thank you so much for your help!" Moon said.

"And for the hospitality," Gladion added. Sonia beamed at them.

"Don't mention it," she said. "I hope you'll manage to get your notes ba- Oh! I almost forgot!"

She ran towards her desk and unplugged the little port where Moon's Rotom Dex had been sitting all night.

"There, all done!" she said, as Rotom buzzed and flew over to Moon.

"Great, thanks!" She had asked Sonia to load the Galar Regional Dex into him the night before. Giving him a quick pat, she pointed him at Grookey and snapped a picture.

"Grookey, Chimp Pokemon. Bzzt. It attacks with rapid beats of its stick. As it strikes with amazing speed, it gets more and more pumped, bzzzt!"

"Niceeeee." Reaching over, Moon stroked Grookey gently. Wistfully. "I'd have liked to see you do that."

Grookey rubbed his head against her fingers, tugging at her hand with his little paws when she stopped. He was so adorable, so sweet, so affectionate... A twinge of sadness flitted through her heart when she pulled away at last.

Cold metal grazed her fingers, and Moon blinked at the pokeball Gladion slid into her hand.

"What are you...?"

"He obviously isn't the only one who got too attached," Gladion said, rolling his eyes, though she could hear the smile in his voice.

Sonia smiled. "He's saying, you should take Grookey with you."

Moon blinked. "Take him with- you mean, catch him?"

"Even though you've only known him for a day, he obviously likes you very much," Sonia said, twirling a lock of hair around her fingers. "More than Hop and me, even though we've had him around for weeks. I think he'll want to stay with you."

Moon looked down at Grookey, and he looked back at her, tilting his head, his black eyes bright. Slowly, she held out the pokeball to Grookey. He sniffed at it.

"What do you think, little one?" she asked softly. "Would you like to come back to Alola with me?"

Grookey chirped happily at her. It booped the trigger button with its nose, and a pink light shot out of the ball, engulfing Grookey. The button gleamed yellow for two seconds, and faded.

Sonia heaved a huge sigh of mock-relief. "Now _you'll_ have to feed him," she said.

Moon laughed, sending Grookey out. He clung to her arm with paws and tail, firing off high excited squeaks at her. She held him close.

"I'll take good care of you, I promise!" she whispered, a wide smile on her face threatening to crack it. Grookey cuddled down, a warm bundle against her chest, snuffling at the strands of her hair. In that moment, her heart felt so full she thought she would burst. Having a wild pokemon choose to trust you would never stop being one of the happiest feelings in the world.

Just then, they heard a long, metallic screech outside the lab.

Sonia grinned, opening the door. "There's your ride."

Grabbing their coats and bags, Moon and Gladion stepped out. A large black carriage stood at the entrance, with a Corviknight perched at the top. The driver, dressed in a thick fur-lined jacket, nodded and grinned at them, gesturing to the open door.

Sonia shook hands with Moon, then Gladion. "It's been a pleasure. Drop by any time you're in Galar again!"

Gladion nodded. "Thanks for everything," he said. He lifted his and Moon's bags into the cab.

"See you again someday, Sonia!" Moon said. "Say hi to Hop for us!"

"I will!"

Moon climbed in, settling herself down next to Gladion on the plush red seats. She waved to Sonia. The driver slammed the door shut, and the Corviknight spread its wings.

Then it leaped into the air, its wings beating strongly as it turned towards Motostoke.

* * *

It was just before noon when Gladion and Moon arrived in Motostoke, an 'industrial city studded with steam-powered marvels of modern engineering' according to the cab driver. The bustling sounds of people and pokemon going about their lives mixed with the hisses of escaping steam, and the clanks of metal. It was a pleasant, lively place.

They exited the city and headed west towards Marlow Common, following a map they took from the Pokemon Center. As they left the red-bricked buildings behind them, Gladion looked around him. It was strange how one could feel so tense and on edge when everything around them was peaceful and calm. He was aware of the clear blue skies, and the scents of plants and flowers carried on a friendly, cooling breeze.

Yet all he could think about were the stolen research notes.

Logically, Gladion knew it was pointless to worry about something he couldn't do anything about (yet). A large part of him wished he could stop worrying, so that he could enjoy the peaceful countryside that Moon wanted him to see. He wished he could talk to Moon about how interesting Motostoke was, and smile at her as she laughed. He wished he could slow down and explore the 'Wild Area' with Moon, a gigantic place full of wild pokemon that lay just south of where they were walking.

But instead, they were walking side by side in complete silence, because his mind refused to do anything other than focus on a single question.

Had Kale created another Type: Null?

 _No._ Thank Arceus. They get the notes (and all copies) back.

 _Yes._ Thenhe would take the Null away, bring it back to Aether Paradise, so that it wouldn't have to suffer. _Not like Silvally did_.

_But you have no authority here, and if Kale created Null, then legally, it belongs to him._

He hated the feeling of helplessness so damn much.

Hated it when Father disappeared.

Hated it when Lillie and Cosmog were taken by Team Skull.

Hated it when the Ultra Beasts attacked.

Hated it when Mother...

Hated it when he had to watch Silvally...

And now he hated every step of the walk to Marlow Common, unable to stop himself thinking about the worst possibilities, unable to do anything about the situation until he got there, unable to _be_ better so that Moon would feel happy...

Suddenly, Moon was holding his hand.

"Hey, stop," she said quietly. "It's not your fault. We're in this together, remember?"

When had she learned to read him so well?

"Sorry. I know it's stupid to worry about something that might not happen," he said.

"But knowing isn't the same as doing," Moon said, her grey eyes soft with sympathy.

Gladion nodded. For a few seconds, they walked on in silence.

"You know, even if the bad things happen..." Moon began. "If you worry about it ahead of time, that just means you're making yourself suffer it twice." She smiled. "Why torture yourself like that?"

Involuntarily, he gave her a small smile in return. "That... actually makes a lot of sense."

"We'll get through this. Whatever Kale has done, we'll get through it," Moon said. "If he turns out to be a pain, we kick his butt. We get the notes back, and Null if he's there. Then we'll visit at least two gyms and the Wild Area and buy curry and toys and go home to Alola."

Somehow, her confident smile and determined eyes made her words remarkably convincing. Gladion's heart lightened. Despite all the disastrous things that had happened in his life, he felt truly blessed to have a friend like Moon by his side.

He squeezed her hand lightly.

"And I owe you an ice-cream. For the berry battle."

Moon laughed.

* * *

Marlow Common was fairly small, but even so, it took them a while to find anything that looked like a lab. They saw it at last; a single, white building tucked into the side of a hill. It was shaped vaguely like an L, with sharp angles on every corner. Sunlight reflected off the gleaming white tiles. Close to, it looked rather impressive.

The moment Gladion and Moon approached the shiny black front door, it lit up like a screen. Several beeps later, a computer-generated voice sounded from the speakers next to it, reading the text that had appeared on the door.

"VISITORS, STATE YOUR NAME AND PURPOSE OF VISIT."

"Ooh, fancy. Why don't you have something like that at Aether?" Moon whispered.

Gladion rolled his eyes. "Because half of Aether is open to public, and the places that aren't require staff passes for entry," he muttered back.

"Fair enough."

He raised his voice for the door. "Gladion and Moon, representatives of the Alolan Pokemon League. We're here to see Professor Kale regarding his magnificent work in Pokemon Research."

For a half a second, Gladion wondered whether or not to mention Aether Paradise, but decided against it. If Kale had nefarious plans for the research notes, he might be put on his guard. If he was harmless, well, Gladion could always produce his ID card later.

The door beeped and whirred. Next to him, Moon looked like she was trying not to smile.

"Magnificent?" she asked.

"Flattery will get you everywhere with scientists who are already full of themselves."

"Personal experience?"

"Faba."

This time, Moon had to struggle to hide her giggles, and Gladion could not prevent a tiny smirk from tugging at his own lips.

The door gave a loud ding.

"VISITORS, PLEASE PROCEED TO THE COUNTER IN THE ENTRANCE ROOM TO PICK UP YOUR BADGES AND AWAIT YOUR GUIDE," the door said.

Then it slid sideways, revealing a small room with a pair of double glass doors on the opposite end. To the left was what looked like a tiny reception counter, except there was nobody behind the table. On the counter top was a grey machine with a white dish in front of it. As soon as the front door slid shut behind them, the machine spat out two small black badges with a letter 'V' printed on each in white.

"Actually, I've always wondered... Why do you keep Faba on?" Moon asked, handing him one of the badges. "You can barely stand him, Silvally hates him, and he obviously cares nothing for any of the pokemon at Aether. Beyond what is required to keep Aether running."

"Believe me, I've asked myself that a lot of times over the past few years," Gladion admitted, pinning his badge haphazardly on his sleeve. "While he may not care for pokemon, he doesn't exactly wish harm on them, either. So as long as we keep him out of the Conservation Area..."

"Right." Moon nodded. "People who don't like pokemon should never be allowed to work directly with pokemon."

"I second that!"

Gladion tensed, spinning around. The glass doors behind them had opened, and a young woman in a clean lab coat stood before them. She had long brown hair pulled up in a neat bun, and bright hazel eyes behind oval glasses. Balancing on her shoulder was a small, white pokemon with what looked like a shell of stubby icicles.

"Gladion and Moon, right?" She smiled. "Hello! I'm Caron, and I'm the First Assistant to Professor Kale." Turning to her shoulder, she added, "And this is Mel, my Snom!"

"Nice to meet you, Caron," Moon said, smiling politely as she shook hands. She lifted a finger to the Snom. "And you too, Mel!"

Caron beamed as Mel rubbed its head against Moon's hand. "People who love and care for pokemon are always welcome in our lab!"

She offered her hand to Gladion next, and he shook it.

So far, no real warning bells. But Gladion knew better than to relax. Aether Paradise, too, had looked completely harmless to most at first.

Besides, something about this place irked him, even though they had only seen the entrance room. Perhaps it was the strong smell of disinfectant from the pure white walls, the cold hum of the ventilation in the ceiling.

They were far too similar to what the Secret Labs beneath Aether used to be like.

"Professor Kale is currently busy with his work, and he won't be available until evening," Caron said. "Anything I can help you with instead?"

"We heard that Professor Kale had recently acquired some... very interesting research," Gladion said carefully.

"Oh, you mean the notes we bought from Ae-" Caron caught herself, looking embarrassed. "Oh dear, I'm sorry, that's confidential information. I can't tell you much about it."

_Jackpot._

"You bought them from Aether Paradise," Gladion said.

Caron's jaw dropped. "How... how did you know that?" she stammered.

"He's the President of Aether Paradise," Moon said.

Caron stared at her, then at Gladion. A huge smile stretched across her face, and she grabbed Gladion's hand once more, pumping it up and down so vigorously that Mel jumped off her shoulder onto the counter, tinkling.

"You _are?!_ My goodness, what an honour!" she exclaimed. "I never thought I'd be able to meet you! I _so_ admire the work that Aether Paradise has done for the conservation of pokemon in Alola!"

"I... thank you," Gladion retrieved his hand as soon as he could, shaking it slightly to get his circulation back. She had a surprisingly strong grip.

"Oops, sorry about that." Caron rubbed her head sheepishly. "But really, I'm so excited! I've read all about Aether Paradise in the Pokemon Geographic. Someday, I hope to be able to establish something like the Aether Foundation in Galar, so I can help to protect the pokemon that need us the most!"

In the face of such enthusiasm, it was hard to believe that Caron was anything but sincere.

Moon seemed to agree, for she gave the assistant a far warmer smile than she had been wearing so far, and held Mel out to her.

"We wish you all the best in your dream," she said.

"Thank you!" Caron scooped Mel up and placed her back on her shoulder. She kissed her Snom gently, then turned to face them again.

"Anyway! How can I help you?" she said.

Gladion took a deep breath. "The truth is... We didn't sell those notes. They were stolen by an employee of ours."

Caron's eyes bulged, and her smile disappeared. "I... Really? Wow."

She looked down for a moment, as if processing his words.

"So... You're here because you want the notes back?" she guessed.

"Yes," Gladion said. "And to see Type: Null."

_But we don't have a Type: Null here. The notes said it was a failed experiment, after all, so we just wanted to study the process of its creation._

He hoped Caron would say that.

Caron smiled. "We're very pleased with our Null's progress. We hope to see a breakthrough soon."

Gladion closed his eyes as a wave of anger flashed through him.

They had created another Null. And they were working on him, hoping to see a 'breakthrough'.

"You will return Type: Null to us, with the blueprints," he ordered. Caron looked surprised.

"W-What? But why?" she asked.

Moon placed a hand on Gladion's arm. Turning to Caron, she explained, "We're just concerned about the treatment Type: Null is receiving here."

"Ah, I see. Well, there's no need for you to worry!" Caron said, smiling again. "We treat all our pokemon with the greatest care! Yes, we're running some tests on Null, but that's because we're trying to help. We'd never do anything that would make it suffer."

Gladion snorted. "Easy for you to say, when you're not the one making the final decisions."

Caron's eyes flashed. "What are you saying?"

"Gladion!" Moon gripped his arm warningly again. "Caron, would it be possible for us to take a look at Type: Null ourselves?"

Caron sighed. "Professor Kale has very strict rules," she said. "But I can see you're not going to believe me until I show you how happy our Null is. Come with me. I'll show you to his enclosure."

Turning, she led them through the glass doors and down a long corridor. The ceiling lights were bright, almost painfully so. No carpets muted their footsteps, which echoed ominously off the white walls. They passed a few closed doors, each with a number label on it.

Half a minute later, she stopped outside a dark grey door with a red alarm on it.

"Here we are." Lifting the lanyard around her neck, she swiped her card through the reader beside the door.

It swung open to reveal a large room filled with green grass, palm trees, and a huge water fountain. A small pokebean tree grew towards the artificial sun in the middle of the ceiling. A couple of balls and other poketoys were scattered around the room.

But there was no sign of any Type: Null.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When Null is Nullwhere to be found, you know shit's about to hit the ceiling. =D


	6. Chapter 6

"That's strange," Caron said, frowning. "It should be here. The schedule..."

Abruptly, she stepped backwards and exited the room. Gladion scanned the place once more, but there was definitely no Type: Null, nor any large hiding places it could possibly be in.

"At least we know she was telling the truth about caring for Null," Moon said.

"What?"

Moon gestured around the room. "It almost looks like the grassland part of the Conservation Area," she said, her smile slightly crooked. "Whoever planned this room gave Null everything they could think of to keep him happy and well."

"Everything except freedom," Gladion muttered. But Moon was right. At least this Null didn't have to spend every moment of its life in a test tube.

All of a sudden, they heard a raised exclamation outside.

"What do you mean, it's in the testing lab?"

Running out, Gladion and Moon saw Caron standing in front of a cleaning cart. The cleaner shrugged, leaning on her mop. "All I know is, the prof came earlier and took it there. Don't know anything more."

"But I know the testing logs from back to front! There are _definitely_ no tests scheduled for today!" Caron insisted. "Besides, he said he was going to be working on the memories until the evening."

Again, the cleaning lady shrugged. "Maybe he changed his mind."

"That wouldn't be like Professor Kale," Caron said. "He's usually so stringent... so strict with our schedule. He wouldn't change things up so drastically without telling anyone."

_Unless he was planning something he didn't want other people to know about._

A chill crept down Gladion's spine.

"Take us to this testing lab," he demanded. Caron hesitated.

"I can't, I'm not authorized to..."

" _Now!_ "

She flinched. Without another word, she turned and led the way down a different corridor. Gladion gritted his teeth and followed, his heart pounding. Dimly, he was aware of Moon beside him, almost running to keep up with their longer strides. But the warning bells were making a racket in his brain now, and the plain white walls felt more forbidding than ever.

They moved in silence, their footfalls echoing ominously through the empty corridors. Left, then right, and right again, until they reached a pair of metal double doors with danger tape on its crash bar handles. A lit-up sign above the door read "TESTING LAB 02".

"In here," Caron said. She swiped her card through the lock device, and it beeped, showing a green light. The lock on the doors clicked.

Gladion reached for the handles.

"What are you doing here?" a voice demanded. Caron gasped.

"Professor Kale!"

Gladion swung around.

A middle-aged man in a white lab coat was standing at the door behind them. He had grey-brown hair and a horseshoe moustache, and was holding a metal clipboard. Frowning suspiciously at them, he turned to Caron.

"Caron, my dear, why have you bought unauthorized people in here?" he asked.

"They're... from Aether Paradise," Caron said nervously.

Kale's eyes narrowed. "From Aether, you say? I'm certain the payment for the blueprints was processed three months ago."

"The man you dealt with stole the notes. They weren't his to sell," Moon said. "We wish to get the notes back, but more importantly..."

"We're here for Type: Null," Gladion said bluntly. There was no point sugarcoating it now.

Kale laughed. "But your company was the one that gave up on your research. You can't seriously think to steal the fruits of _our_ labour, now that we're working to improve him?"

"Null is not a lab toy for you to experiment on!" Gladion said harshly.

"That's not fair!" Caron protested. "We've never done anything to hurt Null!"

"Really?" Gladion glared at her. "You've put in the RKS system, haven't you?"

"Yes, but we had the control masks prepared beforehand. We knew from the notes that it wouldn't be able to handle the system without, so..."

"So, just by putting on a control mask, you ignore the fact that Type: Null's body was _rejecting_ the initialization of the program?" Gladion said.

"That's... I... I... I don't..." Caron stuttered.

"Have you ever thought about how much pain Null had to go through? Just to be born the way humans want him to be?!"

Caron fell silent, her face twisted in frustration and agony. Clenching her fists, she bit her lip, her eyes watering.

In contrast, Kale's face was smooth and devoid of emotion.

"I think," he said silkily, "that our trespassers have outstayed their welcome."

Hearing a loud clang behind him, Gladion spun round, reaching for Weavile's pokeball. But he was too late. The Aegislash fired its Shadow Ball right at him.

Stupid, stupid, _stupid_.

The last thing he heard before his eyes closed was Moon's anguished cry.

* * *

Gladion woke slowly. The first thing he became aware of was the cold metal floor beneath him. The second was the throbbing soreness in his chest.

He groaned.

"Gladion? Are you awake?"

He forced his eyes open. It took a few seconds for his vision to clear. Moon was bending over him, her grey eyes wide with worry.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he muttered. "Sore, but fine."

He was lying with his head in Moon's lap. Taking a few deep breaths, he pushed himself up to a sitting position.

They were in what looked like a small, windowless storeroom, with boxes of pokemon vitamins stacked against the wall. A green exit sign glowing over the door was their only source of light.

"Where are we?" Gladion asked. He stretched carefully, shaking his limbs out to get his blood circulation going.

"A basement storeroom in Kale's lab," Moon replied. "His Aegislash knocked you out with a Shadow Ball. Then he called security to drag us in here."

"Yeah, I kind of remember that first part," Gladion rubbed his chest and winced. A thought occurred to him, and he looked at her sharply.

"What about you? Are you hurt?"

"Nope." Smiling faintly, Moon unzipped her jacket. Wrapped around her neck was a Focus Sash.

"This absorbed most of the blow. I just pretended to faint," she said.

"Thank Arceus." Now all they had to do was to escape and save Null-

Looking down, he saw that his belt holders were empty. Of course.

"Great," he muttered. "How the hell are we gonna get out of here now?"

In answer, Moon held up a pokeball.

"Why didn't they take..." Gladion noticed the small, unlit symbol on the side of the ball. "Wait, it's empty?"

Moon smirked. "I managed to send Grookey out without them noticing."

Gladion gave a huff of surprised laughter. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"Thank you. It comes from watching Ilima's spy movies," Moon said, winking. "Anyway, all we have to do is wait for him to find where they kept Lucario and Weavile. I'm sure they can break down that door."

Waiting game, again. Gladion sighed and leaned back against the wall.

"I don't know how much longer Null can wait," he said. "Kale's made his intentions very clear. He's perfectly willing to let Null suffer, as long as it means that his research can progress."

"The world is full of evil mad scientists," Moon murmured. "Did you know, he actually told Caron he was going to have us arrested for trespassing? But once she was gone, he told his security bully boys to stuff us here."

"He doesn't want to get involved with the police," Gladion said slowly. "Because he knows he's far from innocent."

"Yep. And we're witnesses to his evildoing, which means that his only way to deal with us is..." Moon drew a line across her throat with one finger.

Gladion groaned. "Things just get better and better."

"I know," Moon smiled wryly. "But let's trust in our pokemon, and be patient. They'll find us soon."

"...Yeah."

For a few minutes, they sat in silence. Apart from their quiet breaths, a ticking analogue clock on the wall and the ventilation system were the only sounds they could hear. The smell of disinfectant was stronger than ever.

"Prison," Moon said suddenly.

"What?"

"You said yesterday that you might go to prison," she said with a soft laugh. "This is kind of similar, isn't it? Except we're both stuck in here."

"Not quite the tourist destination you expected, huh?" Gladion said dryly. "I'm sorry."

Moon punched him in the shoulder.

"Ouch! What the hell?!"

"Stop apologising. It's not your fault," she said.

Gladion shook his head. "I was too careless earlier. If I hadn't lost my temper with them, I might have noticed him sending the Aegislash behind us. Then maybe we wouldn't be here now, wondering when Kale's going to kill us."

"Might have, maybe, could have," Moon recited. "There's no point fussing over what ifs."

"I know, but I got too emotional..."

"Because you _care_ ," Moon said. "You care about that Type: Null. You care about Silvally, so you don't want to see any other pokemon going through what he had to."

Reaching out, she cradled his cheek gently with one hand.

"I'm glad you yelled at them," she said. "I would have expected nothing less from you. The kindest person I've ever met."

Gladion swallowed. He knew for a fact that he had acted too hastily. Their lives were in danger now, thanks to his mistakes, and a part of him had felt that he failed them. Failed Moon.

But here she was, his best friend, the strongest person he knew, telling him that she didn't blame him, that she admired him for his compassion.

"...I... I have no idea what to say to that."

Moon grinned, pulling back. "You're welcome."

Gladion smiled. "Honestly, though, if it weren't for your quick thinking, we wouldn't even have a way out of here."

"That's why we work as partners," Moon said. "You provide the firepower, and I bring my quick-witted fake-spy skills."

Gladion snorted. "If you had your team with you, you'd be more than-"

With a crash, the door flew off its hinges, smashing into the boxes on the opposite wall. Weavile stood in the doorway, a triumphant smirk on its face. Lucario stood behind him, holding their bags. Grookey scampered into the room at once, chattering excitedly as he threw himself into Moon's arms.

Gladion rose. "Let's go save Type: Null."

* * *

They ran up the stairs and through the long corridors. It was hard to navigate when they didn't know the layout of the place, but Gladion wanted to give the pokemon a chance to rest. At last, they found themselves standing outside Testing Lab 02.

"We don't have the key card," Moon said. "Brick Break again?"

Gladion nodded. Before he could send out Weavile, a voice hailed them from behind.

"You can't go in there."

Gladion turned. Caron was biting her lip as she gazed at them. Her fingers were twisted in the folds of her lab coat.

"They're... they're doing sensitive tests," she said. "Professor Kale said no one is to be allowed in."

Silence.

"You're not going to call security on us?" Moon asked.

Caron shook her head. "He... I... he... He said he wouldn't hurt Type: Null," she said at last. "We're just trying to help. We planned to implant the memories within its body, so that it can control its power even without the mask. It'll get stronger, but also safer! And..."

"Are you trying to convince us, or yourself?" Gladion said.

"Everything we're doing is for Null's own good," Caron said, looking beseechingly at him, then at Moon.

_Gladion, Lillie, everything Mother does is for your own good._

"If that's true, Kale should have nothing to hide from us," Gladion said.

Caron hesitated.

She walked over to the lock device and swiped her card through it. Grabbing the bar handles, she pushed.

The heavy doors swung open, and immediately, a rush of sound came pouring out. Voices, clicks, beeps and clangs preceded the reveal of a long room lined with computers. Three men in white lab coats were gathered around a raised platform on the far side.

Lying sideways on the platform, chained by steel, with bundles of wires attached to every part of its body, was the Type: Null.

It raised its helmeted head slightly and screamed.

* * *

_"_ _...The first pre-test went well enough... Number Three was the most receptive to the program, though it put up quite the fight... They all did..."_

_"...Just tranquilize them. They'll get used to it soon enough..."_

_~_

_"...Initialization beginning in three... two... one..."_

_"...Sir, they're rejecting the system...!"_

_"No matter... Continue. The same thing happened in the pre-test..."_

_~_

_"_ _...WARNING! All employees to head to the closest evacuation exit. WARNING!"_

_"... It's the Type: Full, Ma'am! They've gone wild!"_

~

_"But sir, you know what happened the last time..."_

_"...It's a risk I'm willing for you to take. Stop worrying, we have a new drug. It's guaranteed to keep him under control."_

_~_

_"_ _The Type: Full! It's... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!"_

_"Shoot it! Shoot it now!"_

_"Quick, the control mask! Crush its head if you have to, but get the damn thing on!"_

_"SCKRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"_

* * *

Moon lunged forward, dashing across the room with no other thought than to get to the Type: Null. It had collapsed after the effort it took to cry out, its eyes half shut beneath the shadow of its brown mask. Even through its thick, messy grey and brown fur, she could see its body trembling violently.

One of the scientists grabbed her by the upper arm and pulled her back, stopping her headlong charge.

"Hey! Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

"Let _go!_ " She tried to twist free, but the man had the strength of a Primeape. Looking back, she saw Gladion still standing frozen at the door. He seemed to be in shock, his eyes wide and pupils dilated. His fists were clenched tight, and he was shaking.

"It's the fools from Aether. Should have taken care of them when I had the chance," Kale muttered. "How did they escape?"

Swinging around, he saw Caron staring at Type: Null. "Caron? You betrayed me?"

"Professor Kale, please. It's... it's crying..." Caron pleaded. "You said we wouldn't hurt it!"

Kale looked pityingly at her. "Injections hurt, but we still take them because they're good for us, don't we? As they say, no pain, no gain."

"No matter how you look at it, that's _way_ beyond injections!" Desperately, Moon tried to kick the man holding her, but he dodged and grabbed her other arm. She glanced over again at Type: Null, and her heart broke at the despairing, _lost_ look in his dull green eyes.

_"Gladion!"_

A blue ball of energy smashed into the man behind her, and he yelped, releasing Moon at once. She staggered away, putting as much distance as she could between them. Lucario fired another Aura Sphere at him, and he dropped to his knees, rubbing his bruised arm in pain.

Gladion was panting heavily, gripping his shaking left wrist. He glared at Kale.

"Moon. Get Type: Null out of here," he said.

"Oh, no you don't!" Kale grabbed and tossed two pokeballs, nodding to the third scientist to do the same. Two Aegislash and a Haxorus emerged. "I paid for those notes, and I made this Type: Null. They belong to _me!_ "

Lucario leaped back to his trainer to face them, and Gladion sent out Weavile to join him. Moon turned and dragged Caron swiftly over to the Type: Null.

"Help me," she said. "I don't know to get Null out of this thing without making things worse."

"I... I... but... I don't..."

"Arceus, stop them from damaging the systems!" one of the scientists was yelling.

"You know this is wrong," Moon said fiercely. "Look at him! He's suffering! We _have_ to get him out!"

In contrast to the shrieks and roars of the battling pokemon behind them, Null was silent now, his eyes almost closed. His chest was heaving slowly as he struggled to breathe. One deep green claw twitched, ever so slightly, reaching out as if to touch them.

Caron gulped, and after a long second, she finally nodded.

"Okay," she whispered. "Let's save him."

Moon closed her eyes in relief. "Thank you," she said. "What do we do first?"

"Shut down the main system and disconnect the sensors."

Caron ran over to the control panel behind Null and smashed her fist through a glass cover. Instantly, the screens along the whole wall went black.

Moon began to pull the wired sensors off. She could hear the battle escalating around them, crashing through equipment and computers, but she concentrated on freeing Null. He had opened one eye and was staring backwards at her.

"Don't worry, you're going to be okay," she murmured. She combed through his thick fur (much denser than Silvally's) to search for more wires. Some of them were IV lines, and she tried to be careful. Nevertheless, spots of blood started to colour Null's fur, and she could feel him flinching slightly each time she pulled one out.

Caron rushed over to help, and soon only the metal restraints remained. She scanned the platform's control system, pushed several buttons, then typed 'RELEASE' on the touch screen.

The shackles holding Null down sprang open with loud clangs. He struggled to his feet, shaking all over. Moon and Caron reached out to support his weight, half lifting him off the platform.

Haxorus roared in pain and crashed to the floor ahead of them. Looking up, Moon saw that both Aegislash were lying motionless on pieces of rubble, too. Kale was backed up against a wall, staring defiantly at Lucario and Weavile, while the other two scientists were collapsed on the floor, groaning in pain.

In spite of herself, she smiled in relief. As expected of Gladion.

"You two go on ahead," Gladion said, still breathing hard. "I'll get the notes from him and follow."

"Right." She stroked Null's neck soothingly. "It's okay, you're safe now," she whispered. Null's eyes swiveled back. Gently, he placed his helmeted head on her shoulder.

Smiling, Moon nodded at Caron. Slowly, carefully, they helped Null limp across the room.

Suddenly, a reddish-pink light engulfed Null, and the weight upon Moon's arms vanished. She spun around quickly, and her heart plummeted at the sight of Kale holding a pokeball.

Kale slammed his hand on the wall beside him. The panelling behind slid open to reveal a dark passage, and he ran through.

Gladion cursed under his breath. "Weavile!" he shouted.

Shards of ice embedded themselves on the hidden door as it closed behind Kale. Moon rushed over and hammered around the wall panelling repeatedly, but the door remained shut.

"Come on, where's the switch for this thing!?" With every second, Kale was getting further away. If he made it out, he could call for a flying taxi, and then they'd have to begin their search all over again. "Caron, how do we—?"

"I don't know, I didn't even know there was a secret door there!"

"Moon, get out of the way," Gladion ordered.

Moon backed off. The moment she was clear, Lucario raised its paws and fired a Flash Cannon at the door, blasting a huge, smoking hole in it. As soon as the light faded, they climbed into the passage.

They had been so close. So close to bringing Null to safety. Moon blinked angrily, clearing the tears from her eyes, and she forced herself to keep running, ignoring the burning sensation in her legs.

The dark, concrete path was short. It soon gave way to sandy ground as they entered a narrow, rocky tunnel. Light spilled in from small holes in the ceiling. Finally, the walls widened into a small cave. Through the cave mouth, they could see the hillside, dull and pale in the moonlight, sloping downwards.

"There!" Caron pointed. "He's heading to the Wild Area!"

Moon sped up, stumbling slightly over uneven patches of grass. They were in a gigantic valley now, with large grey-black rocks here and there on the grass, each emitting a faint red light. The Wild Area, with its Dynamax dens, Moon realized with a jolt.

Below them, Kale glanced backwards. At the sight of the three pursuers, he turned sharply towards one of the dens. Climbing onto the rock, he jumped.

And disappeared.

"What in the...?" Gladion panted.

"It's a den. A sort of large underground cave on top of a Power Spot," Caron gasped.

"What's a power... never mind. Weavile! Lucario!"

"Wait!" Moon yelled. She unslung her bag and rummaged in it as she ran, pulling out two Full Restores. "The den... It's full of Dynamax energy. If Kale has any more pokemon, and he Dynamaxes them, they'll become really big and powerful. We should heal up Weavile and Lucario, just in case."

"Good thinking." Stopping beside the den entrance, Gladion took one of the sprays from her and called Lucario to him. Moon applied the medicine all over Weavile, gently massaging it into his skin. Weavile gave several low growls, rubbing its head against her in thanks.

"At least we know Professor Kale can't escape now," Caron said with a weak smile, still breathing heavily from their mad rush. "There's no other way out of this den."

Dropping the empty spray bottle, Gladion stood up. "Let's go."

Moon climbed onto the black-and-red rock. Through the wide entrance hole, she could see the rough and rocky floor of the den, sloping out of sight.

She touched her right shoulder, remembering the moment when Null had offered her his trust.

This time, they would save him.

She jumped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo Gladion stop littering in the Wild Area


	7. Chapter 7

The den was dark. Moonlight from the entrance barely reached a few feet in, not quite enough to light the whole cave. Traces of red light spilled out of cracks in the rocky walls, casting a dim, slightly eerie red glow over everything.

She knew the den would be huge, but she didn't realise just _how_ huge. As her eyes adjusted to the light (or lack thereof), she estimated that it was probably big enough for ten Wailords to swim freely in. Vaguely, she wondered just how many of these dens existed beneath the ground.

In the deepest part of the den, she could see another large hole in the ground. A faint red light was pouring out of it, pulsing faintly. The 'Power Spot'.

"I don't see him anywhere," Gladion muttered. "Stay alert."

Moon nodded, stepping as quietly as she could across the shifting sand. Her eyes darted from one large boulder to another. Was Kale hiding behind any of them?

"Should we... use our Rotom phones?" Caron asked nervously. "To get a bit more light?"

"Put on all the light you want, you'll never reach enlightenment."

Moon turned sharply towards the direction where the smug voice came from. Kale was standing beside a large boulder in front of the Power Spot, his body a dark silhouette against the red light. He held a pickaxe loosely in his hands.

Lucario and Weavile both started forward, but Gladion held out his hand, stopping them.

"One last chance, Kale. Hand over Type: Null and the research notes," he ordered. "Otherwise..."

Kale ignored him. "Caron, my dear, we could have done great things together," he said. "You are far more intelligent and capable than most of your peers. Your future is unlimited! Come with me, and we will make great marks on the world of artificial pokemon biology!"

He held one hand out towards her. "What do you say?"

For a long second, Caron hesitated.

"What about Type: Null?" she asked.

Kale's hand dropped, and he heaved a large, dramatic sigh.

"Fine," he said. Turning, he lifted his pickaxe and drove it downwards into something behind the boulder. A loud clanging sound, like metal against metal, reverberated through the den.

"I don't like the sound of that," Moon said. Considering that his last possible ally had just refused to help, whatever he was planning couldn't be anything good.

Kale slammed the pickaxe down again, and loud cracking noises sounded, one after another.

 _"NO!_ "

Suddenly, Gladion was charging forward, Weavile and Lucario at his heels.

Realization dawned on Moon, and she gasped. "No... Stop!"

Kale smirked at them, panting. "You should never have come to Galar."

With a final swing of the pickaxe, he broke Null's control mask.

Instantly, Null bolted upwards, shrieking as the pieces of his mask dropped to the ground. Again and again, it screeched, staggering sideways until Kale shoved him into the Power Spot.

A wave of energy exploded from the hole. Blinding red light filled the den, and instinctively, Moon brought her arms up to shield her face. She could feel grit and sand biting into her skin, carried by the rush of air.

A loud, piercing roar rang out. Moon forced her eyes open.

It was Type: Null.

Ten times bigger than its usual size.

Without the control mask, it looked almost like Silvally, except... not. The crest at the top of its head was crumpled. Light was pulsating erratically from its eyes and memory holders. Each breath it took was loud and harsh.

Opening its mouth wide, it roared again. This time, it unleashed a Hyper Beam straight at the rocks around the entrance of the den. They splintered and crashed into the ground, sending waves of debris flying.

One sharp rock struck Caron in the leg, and she cried out in pain, falling to her knees.

"Caron!" Moon cried. Spinning around, she shouted as loudly as she could. "Null!"

The artificial pokemon gave no sign that it heard her. Moon watched helplessly as it continued rampaging, swinging its head around in short bursts, slamming its claws into boulders.

"Arceus, that's power," Kale said, looking rapt. "Imagine that, plus all eighteen types..."

"You _fool!"_ Gladion spat, shaking with rage. "You know he can't control that power!"

"I can always return it to the pokeball once it gets rid of-"

Type: Null roared again, rearing. One flailing claw smashed into Kale, hurling him against the rocky wall with a sickening crunch. He landed on the ground, silent and unmoving.

Lucario and Weavile sprang into action. Staying well out of Type: Null's reach, they fired special attacks at it. Screeching, it tried to swipe at them with its claws. Weavile dodged, running swiftly up its leg, and slashed it across the face. It roared in agony.

"NULL!" Moon yelled again. But her voice didn't—couldn't—reach it. It crouched down, quiet for a moment, coughing through its open mouth with its tongue hanging out.

One tear rolled down its cheek.

Moon's heart broke, and she ran straight at Type: Null.

"Moon, stop!" Gladion grabbed her around the middle as she passed him. "He doesn't recognise you anymore!"

"But we can't... we can't leave him like that!" Moon cried. "Look at him! He's suffering!"

"I know."

At the crack in his voice, Moon stopped struggling. She twisted to look up at him.

"Even if he ran out of this Dynamax energy... He can't be controlled without a mask. If he goes on like this, he's going to end up killing someone. Or himself."

A cold chill spread through her body, and she stared at him in horror.

"You can't mean..."

"Take Caron and get to safety."

"No! You can't! It's not his fault!"

"Don't you think I know that?!" Gladion shouted. Moon flinched.

This wasn't any easier for him. His eyes were gleaming with unshed tears. His hands, wrapped around her, were trembling violently. Every blow that Null took had to be hurting him, too.

Slowly, he released her.

"I don't even know if Lucario and Weavile can take him down. They're tired already, and this Dynamax power is pretty insane." He ran his fingers through his hair. "You don't have your team here, and Grookey's only a baby, you can't ask him to fight this. So please, get out of here. I might..."

He stopped. Unbidden, his words from the night before came to her mind.

_I might end up committing murder._

"Go!"

"Gladion!"

He ran towards Lucario and Weavile, calling out commands.

Moon watched him go. She had never felt so helpless before. Since she undertook the Island Challenge, she had had to face so many difficult obstacles, from Totem Pokemon to Ultra Beasts. Though she always knew that her pokemon team was more than halfway responsible for her victories, the reality that she couldn't do anything without them had never hit quite this hard. So much for being the strongest trainer in Alola, she thought bitterly. Without her pokemon, she couldn't help Gladion fight.

She couldn't even save one Type: Null.

Her tears fell.

"Moon... listen..."

Caron had limped over, her face slightly twisted from the effort.

"I was the one who built the control mask for Null," she said. "And... I still have one last test version in my office."

Moon's eyes widened. "Are you saying... but there's no way it'll fit his head now!"

"If Null faints, it'll turn back to his usual size, and then we can get the mask on," Caron said. "So I'm going to run back to the lab. You stay here and help Gladion."

"But I don't have any way to..."

Her hand flew to the sash at her neck.

Grookey.

"Caron, go," she breathed. "Run as fast as you can."

Caron didn't waste time asking questions. She began to limp forward, obviously trying to ignore the pain in her leg. Gradually, limp turned to shuffle, and then she was running up the slope to the den entrance.

One gentle toss of a pokeball, and Grookey came out. Moon bent down and picked him up.

"Little one, I'm going to ask you to do something really hard," she said.

Grookey tilted his head in confusion. She could hear the cries of Null, Lucario and Weavile as they battled, but she forced herself to stay calm, to explain things to Grookey.

"We have to help Null. He's suffering badly, and we have to stop him. Only, he's very powerful, and he could end up hurting you, too." Moon swallowed. "But I think... I think I know a way we can win. It won't be easy, and it will really, really hurt, but... I believe you can do it."

The risk was great. Grookey could die. She could die. Gladion, Null, Lucario, and Weavile, too.

But if her plan worked, if she and Grookey managed to time everything well...

"Will you trust me?" she whispered. "Will you fight with me?"

Grookey squeaked. Reaching up, he grabbed the stick on his head and leapt to the ground. Waving his stick in the air, he gave a loud battle-cry.

Moon smiled.

"Thank you," she said. Unwrapping the sash from her neck, she bent down and tied it securely across his body.

"Now, let's go save Type: Null."

* * *

Weavile and Lucario were exhausted. Moon could see it in the way they moved. Though their attacks were still as deadly, their leaps still as fast, they took longer to recover after each strike and dodge. But they valiantly continued whittling Type: Null down.

Gladion was standing behind a boulder, his eyes following the battle. From the empty containers around his feet, he had probably used his entire stash of battle items on his pokemon.

Hearing her footsteps, he turned.

"I told you to get out!" he yelled.

"Caron's gone for a backup mask!" she yelled back. As a scattering of rocks came flying at her, she ducked close to the ground, cradling Grookey protectively in her arms. "If we can knock him out, she can put another control mask on him, and then he'll be all right!"

Surprise flared in his eyes, then hope, and finally, determination.

"Then we'll do whatever it takes to take him down," he said. "You should get out. It's dangerous in here."

Moon ran to him, dodging behind his boulder. "Too dangerous for me, but not for you?" she said with a crooked smile. "I'm not gonna leave you to face this alone."

"Moon." Frustrated, he shook his hair out of his face. "I can't... I don't want you to risk your life like this."

"I don't like you risking your life either," she returned. Reaching out, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "That's why we work as partners, remember? You do the firepower, and I do the brains."

He hesitated.

"It'll be okay. Grookey and I have a plan," she said.

Gladion blinked. "How... He's barely-"

With a shrill cry, Silvally fired another Hyper Beam over their heads. Lucario came crashing down, fainted. Gladion swore, rushing over to his pokemon.

Moon looked up at Null. It was breathing hoarsely, claw wounds and bruises visible across its face and legs. It roared, shaking his head aggressively.

"We're out of talking time," Moon said. "Ready, Grookey?"

Gladion looked up. "Wait, Moon!"

Gazing down at his face, lined with worry, his brow creased, Moon smiled.

"Trust me," she said.

Then, with Grookey on her shoulder, she ran into the fray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rather short chapter this time, but we're finally heading to the climax ;w;


	8. Chapter 8

It took a while for the revive's effects to set in. Lucario opened his eyes and struggled unsteadily to his feet. Gladion pulled out his last full restore.

"Just a bit more. Hang in there," he murmured, spraying it on. Lucario growled, shaking himself all over, wincing at the bruises and cuts on his body.

Weavile was still dodging around Type: Null, firing off Dark Pulses every now and then. With Null's attention focused on him, Moon was able to sneak closer with Grookey.

_What was she planning?_

She had told him to trust her, and he really wanted to. But Grookey was obviously inexperienced, and Moon didn't have any other pokemon with her. A berserk Null would have been hard enough to deal with under normal circumstances; at Dynamax size, with his power and abilities enhanced, the chances of Grookey and Moon being able to survive were close to zero.

They could die.

The full restore hissed as it ran out of medicine. Gladion tossed it aside.

"Ready to go?" he asked. Lucario nodded once. "Watch out for the Hyper Beam. Keep an eye on Grookey, in case he needs you for support."

Then Lucario was off, bounding towards Null. Null shrieked at Weavile. It opened its mouth to charge a Hyper Beam. Immediately, Lucario leapt at it with an Extreme Speed, knocking its head aside so that the energy beam hit the opposite wall.

Null cried out in pain and anger. Lifting its head, it blinked slowly. Looked straight at Moon and Grookey.

_They could die._

"Run!" Gladion yelled.

But Moon stopped. Instead, Grookey dashed forward with a high-pitched screech. Rearing, Null swiped one clawed leg at Grookey, slamming him violently into the ground.

Moon rushed over to Grookey, just as Null fired a Tri-Attack at him.

_**They could die.** _

"MOON, NO!"

He was running, faster than he had ever run in his life, and he had no thought, no ideas, he just needed to get to Moon-

It struck them.

The tri-coloured energy beam disappeared in a flash, and... the broken piece of Null's mask that Moon was holding over herself crumbled.

Grookey, wearing the Focus Sash, leapt up towards Null's face and hit it with his wooden stick.

_Endeavor._

Gladion's eyes widened. As Null roared, half-collapsing on its front legs, he spun around and whistled two notes at Weavile, a signal they both knew well.

With the last vestiges of its energy, Null opened its mouth for another Hyper Beam.

And Weavile's Ice Shard smashed into it.

A cut-off cry.

A frozen moment.

Slowly, Null toppled over, and it crashed to the ground, unmoving. The red glow around the den engulfed it, and with a final bright flash, Null returned to its original size.

The light disappeared, and finally, there was silence.

Only, it wasn't _silence_ , because Weavile and Lucario and Grookey were panting just as hard as he was.

_Moon._

Gladion sped over to her. She was lying motionless on her side, covered in metal dust, sand, and ash. With shaking hands, he lifted her battered, bruised body, brushing pieces of metal off her face.

She moaned, her grey eyes flitting open.

"It worked?" she asked hazily.

Relief flooded through him.

"You could have died!" Gladion yelled. "Of all the crazy ideas you could think up... How could you be so reckless!?"

"Probably spent too much time around you."

Grookey crawled over, looking just as worn out as his trainer. But he chirped proudly as he climbed onto her lap. She stroked him.

"Thank you, little one. We'll get you to a Pokemon Center soon," she said. Lifting his pokeball, she called him back. "Type: Null, too, and Weavile and Lucario."

Typical Moon. Nearly got herself killed, and all she could think about were the pokemon.

"You couldn't have told me what you were planning? If I hadn't gotten Weavile to attack…"

"We were kind of short on talking time," Moon said. "Besides, I knew you'd be able to catch on. Once I got Grookey to use Endeavor. Genius strategy, right?"

"...Champion strategy," Gladion admitted. "But you could have _died_."

If Null had used Hyper Beam, or Crush Claw... If Grookey had missed... Or if Weavile had struck a bit later…

"Hey." Moon placed one trembling hand on his cheek. "I'm okay. Hurts like hell, but I'm okay. We're all okay. And Null will be okay, too."

She was so strong. So selfless and determined. But in his arms, she felt so small, so fragile... and he had almost lost her.

He embraced her tightly, holding her close, burying his head in her shoulder. He needed to know, to _feel_ , that she was there with him. Her heart was beating next to his, and her breath was warm against his neck. Her fingers were gentle as she hugged him back, chuckling softly.

He wasn't sure how long they held each other, but when a loud clang made them raise their heads, they saw Caron and a tall, black-haired young man closing the test control mask over the fainted Null's head.

Caron grinned at them. "You did it!"

Moon gave her a thumbs-up.

"W-Well done, Caron, my dear."

Gladion stiffened at the slimy voice.

Kale was limping over to them, his glasses hanging off one ear. Blood soaked through his dirt-covered lab coat, and there was a huge red-purple bruise on his forehead. In spite of his sorry state, he still wore his usual smug, insufferable face. Smirking, he took a pokeball out of his pocket.

Caron smiled and stood up. "Thank you, Professor."

Pulling back her arm, she punched him in the jaw.

As Kale fell to the ground, the young man scratched his head. "Uh, I still have no idea what's going on here but... You're probably gonna get fired over that, you know?" he said.

Caron picked up Null's pokeball. "That's all right, Ed. I quit," she announced.

"Hooray," Moon said weakly. "Or rather, good _job_. Get it?"

Gladion snorted, shaking his head. "How are you still in a mood to crack bad puns?"

"I'm always in a mood to make you laugh."

"I didn't laugh."

"You snorted. Same thing."

"I-"

"Um," Caron interrupted. Gladion turned to look at her. She had returned Null to his pokeball, and Ed had Kale's limp body slung over his shoulders.

"We should get the pokemon to a Pokemon Center. And it looks like Moon and I need to go to the hospital," she said.

"Right." Gladion stood up and recalled Weavile and Lucario to their pokeballs. Bending, he slid one arm around Moon's shoulder and the other under her knees. As he lifted her, she looped her arms around his neck.

"You did _so_ laugh," she whispered.

"Shut up."

And then she was laughing as they slowly made their way out of the Dynamax den.

* * *

To Gladion's relief, there was no lasting damage done to anyone involved in the incident. Weavile, Lucario and Grookey recovered easily with a night or two at the Pokemon Center. Moon had been badly bruised, and needed to get some minor cuts treated, but was fine otherwise. Caron's leg needed stitches, and she would be on crutches for a while.

Kale had bruises, broken ribs and cuts from his collision with the rocky wall. He also had a fractured jaw, which Gladion assured the doctors was from a stray rock during the battle.

"They arrested him at the hospital yesterday," Caron said as she led them down the corridor towards Null's room. "Forgery, assault, false imprisonment... He's not going to be able to get off easily. And the RSPCP are pushing to get him charged for his treatment of Null, too. But of course, that's a difficult area."

Gladion nodded. "It must be hard for you, too," he said.

Caron smiled wryly, coming to a stop. "I really thought... I trusted him, you know?" she said. "Yet all this time, he'd been experimenting on Null in ways that would hurt him."

"It wasn't your fault," Moon said softly. "You just did what you thought was best for Null."

Caron shook her head. "Sometimes, it feels like we humans think we know what's best for the world, but... we're wrong," she said. With a cynical smile, she started limping forward again.

"That sounds familiar," Moon said with a crooked grin. "In Alola, people once built a shopping mall over sacred grounds, and... our guardian pokemon just tore it down."

"Oof. Serves them right," Caron said, laughing. "This whole lab is going to be torn down, too. All of Pr- Kale's research projects will be terminated."

"What do you plan to do from here?" Gladion asked.

"I've been offered a position at Wyndon's Battle Tower. They just opened not too long ago, and they're looking for people to help care for the rental pokemon there," Caron said. "I... I don't know if I want the job."

"Why not?" Moon demanded in surprise.

Caron smiled sadly. "Because a part of me just... feels like I no longer have the right to work with pokemon."

On her shoulder, Mel tinkled, rubbing against Caron's cheek. Caron smiled, turning to kiss her. With a sigh, she reached out and opened the door.

Type: Null looked up, his eyes bright beneath his new control mask. His thick fur was groomed immaculately, and his long grey feathers were smooth and shiny. Some of Weavile's slash wounds were still visible on his legs, and a piece of its tail was missing, but the nurses at the Pokemon Center assured them that, in time, he would make a full recovery.

Curiously, he bounded over to his visitors. Caron patted him, and he gave a happy shrill, rubbing against her.

"Even after all that, he still trusts humans," Gladion murmured.

At his words, Caron gave a sobbing laugh.

"We don't deserve him," she said. "And _he_ deserves to live a happy life from now on. Far away from laboratories and scientists. Out on the sunny beaches."

Taking Null's pokeball out of her pocket, she held it out to Gladion.

He took it, and hesitated.

Originally, he had wanted to take Null home to Aether. To where they could protect him, where he could live peacefully with the other pokemon in the Conservation Area.

He gazed at Null, taking in the thick, double layered dark brown fur on Null's body. The slight sheen of oil over Null's thick feathers. The extra layer of scales down his front legs. All to prevent heat loss, to keep him warm.

And he looked at Caron. She was smiling, a slight, melancholic smile, one hand sunken into the mass of feathers at Null's neck.

Taking a deep breath, Gladion offered the pokeball back to her. "This Type: Null was made for Galarian weather," he said. "And unfortunately, unlike natural-born pokemon, his body won't be able to adapt. He'd hate living in Alola."

"But..."

"You take care of him," Gladion said.

"Oh no, I couldn't!" Caron gasped. She glanced at Type: Null. "I... I'm not a trainer. He needs a trainer, someone who can journey with him and help him grow stronger, so that one day, he can get the mask off."

"Then you'll find a trustworthy trainer, someone to be his partner. Until then..." Gladion took her hand and placed the pokeball in it.

"You..." Caron paused, glancing from Gladion to Moon. "You'd really... trust me with him?"

"A person who dreams of protecting pokemon, who loves and cares for pokemon?" Moon smiled at her. "We couldn't think of anyone better to look after Null."

Slowly, the corners of Caron's mouth deepened into a soft smile. Dropping her crutch, she gripped the pokeball tightly, holding it to her chest, while her other hand hugged Null close.

"I won't let you down," she breathed, her eyes full of happy tears.

"Just make sure you get that job at the Battle Tower," Gladion cautioned, smirking. "They eat a _lot_."

* * *

For the ride back to Alola, Wicke had booked a VIP room on the ferry. Extravagant, perhaps, but it did mean that they could let their pokemon out.

Grookey, of course, wasted no time in stuffing himself with the plate of malasadas on the sleek black table.

"If he keeps eating like that, he could probably break Hau's record," Gladion remarked, leaning back on the plushy maroon cushions.

"At least we know he won't have any problems finding food in Alola," Moon said, grinning. The immigration officer at Hulbury had questioned her thoroughly to check if she knew how to handle 'such a rare Galarian pokemon', including details on how to feed and groom him. They would probably have to go through another long screening once they reach Alola, but at least she was allowed to _bring_ Grookey home.

Gladion watched as she stroked Grookey's head affectionately. He chirped at her, and she giggled.

After the catastrophic events of the last few days, it felt incredibly good to sit back and simply relax. The research notes were bundled in his bag (all copies had been burnt), and Type: Null was safe in Caron's hands. Weavile and Lucario were eating malasadas as they enjoyed the sea breeze blowing in from the window.

And while he and Moon hadn't been able to visit any gyms, they did manage to shop at the largest mall in Hulbury, loading up with curry powder, balls of all kinds, and a few feather wands that they had seen some other trainers and pokemon playing with. Snacks and souvenirs for their friends and families in Alola also filled their shopping carts, so their baggage on the homeward journey was significantly heavier than before.

"What's this?" Moon pulled out a sheet of paper from underneath the malasada plate. She read it and chuckled. "It's a feedback form. Lend me a pen!"

"First of all, why didn't they leave a pen with that, and second of all, we just started sailing. How are you going to answer that?" Gladion asked, digging in his left coat pocket.

Moon laughed. "Maybe they forgot. We'll just answer what we can and make up the rest!" She took a black ballpoint from Gladion and clicked it.

"Let's see... From a scale of one to ten, how would you rate the comfort of your room?" She looked expectantly at him.

Gladion shrugged. "Nine, maybe."

"From a scale of one to ten, how would you rate the cleanliness of your room?"

"Currently? Three, because your Grookey has gotten sugar and malasada crumbs all over the floor."

"Like Silvally doesn't spill his beans all over the floor?" Moon exclaimed, indignant. "You have _no_ right to criticize Grookey."

"Fair point," Gladion conceded. "Next question."

"How would you rate the quality of the meals served?" Moon read.

"Weavile and Lucario seem to like it, so nine."

"The rest are things we haven't touched..." Moon flipped the page over. "And suggestions and... ah." With a smile, she looked over at him.

"From a scale of one to ten, how would you rate the overall experience of your trip?"

Gladion knew that the survey was referring to the ferry ride. He also knew that Moon was asking something else entirely.

His mind went over the past week. The entire fiasco with Kale was definitely the cause of some of the worst experiences in his life. The resulting stress and worry had been pretty soul-crushing.

On the other hand, travelling Galar with Moon had had its pleasant moments. Meeting Susie, and playing ball with her and Moon and the pokemon. Having the berry plucking contest with Moon. Cooking curry with Hop and Moon. Exploring Hulbury shops with Moon.

It had truly been an enjoyable holiday.

"Ten," he said.

Moon grinned, and her smile somehow managed to be both triumphant and sincere at the same time. "Told you it'd be good for you. What did you like most about your trip?"

_You._

The realisation was staggering, and he looked down, biting down on his lip as the inner voices in his head began to yell at him.

He thought about how comfortable it felt to have Moon by his side. He remembered the times when she laughed, carefree and relaxed, and he wanted nothing more than to keep her so. He thought about how Moon had insisted on fighting alongside him, supporting and comforting him. He remembered the moment when the Tri-Attack hit her, and his heart simply stopped, because...

How had he never realised just how important she was to him?

A hand waved in front of his face, and he jumped. Moon had moved to sit beside him, her smile slightly amused.

"It's not like you to zone out," she said, tilting her head. "What's on your mind?"

"You asked me before," Gladion blurted. "If... if there was something I wanted to do... that would make me happy."

Moon raised her brows. "Different phrasing, but I won't quibble," she said cheerfully. "I assume this means you've found that something?"

"...Yes."

He had to tell her. Before he ran out of nerve.

"What is it? Playing ball? Eating curry? Stopping mad scientists and their villainous plans?"

Gladion could hear the laughter in her voice, but her grey eyes were soft, filled with warm affection as she gazed at him.

Leaning forward, he pressed an awkward kiss to her soft cheek, his lips lingering for a few seconds before he pulled back.

Moon looked stunned, her eyes wide and her mouth falling open.

Heat was suffusing through his cheeks, and he looked away, mortified.

"Sorry, I... thought..."

Obviously, he'd been too hasty again, and misread her feelings for-

Moon's fingers gripped the nape of his neck and pulled him back to face her. And then her lips were on his, warm and gentle.

When they parted, her breath was just as ragged as his, and her cheeks were glowing pink. But she was smiling, a shy, sweet smile that made Gladion want to kiss her again.

"What a coincidence," Moon murmured. "This makes me really happy, too."

He could feel the smile on his own face, threatening to crack it into two, as he leaned towards her once more. But a loud thud had them both turning towards the table.

Grookey was staring openmouthed at them, a half-eaten malasada on the floor. Weavile and Lucario, however, wore matching expressions of smug glee.

"Do you get the feeling that our pokemon might have known about us before we did?" Moon asked.

Gladion sighed. "I can't wait till your Manu finds out."

Then he kissed her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Focus Sash on Grookey enabled him to survive Null's Tri-Attack with 1HP. Grookey then hit Null with Endeavor, a move that causes the target's HP to equal the user's HP. Weavile finished it with Ice Shard, which is basically an ice-type Quick Attack.
> 
> This strategy, known as FEAR, was commonly used in competitive pokemon battling. It's not actually possible to utilize it in a Dynamax battle in SwoSh, probably because the game didn't want players abusing it, so they changed Endeavor's effects slightly when it is used on a Dynamaxed pokemon. But since game balancing is not an issue in this fic, I went ahead with it 8'D
> 
> We're almost done! Just an epilogue left!


	9. Epilogue

_"...found Null a good trainer at last: our current League Champion! She's strong, kind-hearted, adventurous, and very good at cooking curry! Null loves her already!"_

"That's wonderful news! I'm so glad things are going well for you both!"

_"How about you? And Gladion?"_

"I got a job! You're speaking to the newest hire at Heahea General Pharmacy. As for Gladion, he's-"

"HOLY MALASADAS!"

Moon jumped at the loud yelling from inside Gladion's office, then grinned. Apparently, Hau had just reached, a little earlier than they expected him to.

"Get out." Gladion sounded exasperated.

Holding the door open, Hau poked his head out. "Moon! Who is this and what have you done with Gladion!?"

"Get out."

"He's... PLAYING... with a toy!"

"I said get out!"

Moon rolled her eyes and raised her phone back to her ear.

"He's currently embarrassed to death because our friend Hau just walked in on him playing with Silvally and a feather wand."

_"That... sounds complicated."_

"It can be. Anyway, I'd better go make sure they don't kill each other. Talk to you again?"

_"Right! All the best to you both! Come visit Galar again soon!"_

"Bye!"

When Moon re-entered Gladion's office, Hau was shaking two feather wands, one in each hand, at Raichu and Silvally. Gladion looked up as she sat down next to him on the couch and slid her hand into his.

"How's Caron?" he asked.

"Her job at the Battle Tower is going great, and she gave Null to Hop's girlfriend," Moon said.

"Galar's League Champion?"

Moon nodded. "She'll do well for him."

"That's good to hear." Looking over at Silvally, Gladion smiled. The chimera pokemon jumped up at Hau, knocking him backwards into a pile of cushions.

"Caron also invited us to visit Galar again," Moon added.

Gladion turned to look at her consideringly. "Do you want to go?" he asked.

"Well... They recently revised the Alola-Galar Border Treaty," Moon said. She grinned. "That means Manu and the rest will be allowed to enter Galar now."

Gladion smirked. "Gym challenge?"

"Gym challenge."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The happy end, at last!! 
> 
> Many thanks to my friend and beta Frozenleaf, who has been the best editor a writer could wish for through the whole of this last month. It hasn't been easy for you, I know, but I really appreciate how encouraging you've been! ;w;b 
> 
> Working on this has been a wonderfully enjoyable experience for me, and I hope you've had fun, too! Thank you so much for all your support! \o/


End file.
